Pain Management
by LisaBelleLove
Summary: AU Marriage Law fic in which Snape survives the war. Severus has opened his own apothecary after quitting Hogwarts quite suddenly. Hermione manages the store, and they're both faced with a shock when the Ministry passes a mandatory marriage law. Rated M for later intimacy, language, and possible self-harm.
1. Shocked

"What precisely do you think you're doing?" Hermione turned, once again feeling regret for taking this job, to face her former Potions professor and current employer. Approximately three years ago, Severus Snape turned in his resignation to Hogwarts, all but flipped the new Headmaster the bird, and walked out. He'd had several complaints against him, despite being on his best behavior, simply because parents were concerned how his past would affect the welfare of their children. He'd had enough.

Not one month later, he rented a shop front in Diagon Alley, and opened an apothecary. Twoyears ago, to his horror, Hermione Granger turned in her application. Her knowledge and general adequacies for the job forced him to hire her.

Slowly, Hermione stood, rubbing her palms against her robe-clad thighs in irritation (and to keep from hexing him, but she told herself it was irritation.)

"What precisely does it look like I'm doing?" She bit back, and regretted it when his eyes flashed dangerously. She chewed her lip, but held his state.

"It looks as though you've rearranged my shelves to put the Muscle Crap Relief potions with the feminine hygiene products." It annoyed him thoroughly when she rolled her eyes as thought this should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"Because it makes sense. Why wouldn't they be here? Women get cramps during...their time of the month."

"Runners get cramps after a 5K, as well, Miss Granger, which is exactly why I've put the potions with the other pain relief products."

"Yes. And I've left some there, as well." They stared each other down for several moments before Hermione finally relaxed her stance, her hands landing on her hips in exasperation. "Look. You've made me manager of your store so you don't have to worry about these things. Will you let me do my job?" With a sneer and a huff, he spun away from her dramatically and disappeared into his office, leaving Hermione to grin triumphantly and straighten the potions she'd repositioned.

Forty-five minutes later, when she was satisfied with the way her shelves look, her lifted herself to her feet, and winced when her knee gave a particularly nasty throb of pain and nearly gave out from under her. She caught herself quickly on the edge of the shelf and continued to her feet, rubbing the offending joint in annoyance. She made it back to the checkout counter and leaned against it. Only fifteen minutes before she was due to clock out. She intended to go home and take the longest, hottest bath of her life.

"Doing alright there, my love?" Hermione smiled at her coworker, a woman maybe ten years their boss's senior, and sweet as can be. She'd been hired as soon as he'd opened shop, but denied the manager position as she intended to retire within the next few years. Frannie brushed aside her greying hair, cropped short for easy managing, and adjusted her half-moon spectacles on her nose.

"I'm alright, yes." Hermione said, still rubbing her knee. Frannie's eyes strayed to her fingers, working the joint.

Four years prior, during the war between the Death Eaters lead by Voldemort, and the rest of the wizarding world, Hermione had been captured and tortured mercilessly by one of Voldemort's most sociopathic cronies, Bellatrix Lestrange. She cast Cruciatus for so long, Hermione was sure she would go mad. Finally, after what may have been hours, the curse stopped, but Hermione was left scarred by a hand-carved 'Mudblood' in her left forearm and a nasty aftereffect of the curse that had settled into her left knee and both shoulders. She supposed they weren't the worse things to walk away with from a war that killed children and adults alike.

She checked the clock. Ten more minutes. She straightened a few shelves, charmed a few price tags straight, and was just about the clock out when Severus chose that exact moment that her knee failed to step out of his office. He caught her lithely before she could hit the floor and righted her, snatching his hands back as though he could catch a disease if he touched her for too long.

"Would you like to tell me why I'm brewing these incredibly time-consuming potions for you if you're not going to take them?" Hermione straightened her robes and shoved her hair out of her face, shooting him a scathing glance.

"I _do_ take them," she said, and when he raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to speak, she held a hand up. "Sometimes the symptoms are a little more than the potion can handle. Now, if you don't mind, I want nothing more than to spend the rest of the night in my bathtub." She turned to leave, but he stopped her with a hand on her elbow and motioned for her to follow him into the laboratory. Frannie eyed her curiously, and Hermione shrugged.

"Come with me," Severus said impatiently. He held the door open to the laboratory and followed her through, allowing the door to swing shut none-too-gracefully behind them. She halted before him, and he nearly collided with her. She turned to look at him expectantly, and upon further examination, he saw how truly exhausted she looked. He wondered offhandedly if she too had nightmares like he did. He certainly understood the exhaustion of chronic pain, being a man in his early middle ages.

"Am I working you too hard, Miss Granger?" He asked, and his voice held no malice. Hermione stared at him for a moment, caught off guard by his irregular tone.

"I beg your pardon?" She finally said, watching him carefully.

"Is the job too much for you? Is it too hard on you physically?"

"No, sir. Have I given any indication that it might be?" His eyes strayed to her knee, and he raised an eyebrow.

"You very nearly collapsed on the floor a moment ago. Does that not constitute suspicion that you may be over taxed?" Hermione sighed and sat gingerly on a stool by his work bench. She chewed her lip a moment and considered her words.

"It's not the job that is overtaxing. It's the _pain_. Sometimes it's more than I can handle. I apologize for my attitude."

"Are you sleeping?" His question caught her off guard. "Are you having...dreams?" She narrowed her eyes at him. She expected to be scolded for her tone and attitude toward him, but his voice sounded almost sympathetic. Slowly, she nodded her head. 

"Yes, but how did you-"

"How I know is not important, Miss Granger, suffice it to say that I can tell the signs." He noticed her right hand rubbing her left forearm absently and scowled at her. "How bad is the pain, and how do the potions help?"

"On a scale of one to ten? Fifteen on a bad day, eight on a good one. The potions ease the pain slightly, and the joints don't swell as much as they would without them. It doesn't relieve it completely, though." She watched him nod and pass to a narrow door on the opposite wall. He disappeared behind it for a moment and she heard the clinking of glass and metal, and he emerged carrying three potions bottles. He handed the three to her, and seemed to calculate the words he would use next.

"Cease your use of your regular potions, and begin these in tomorrow. The first is a stronger pain remedy that targets the nerves specifically. Do not take this on an empty stomach, you will regret it." She nodded obediently while he raised an eyebrow. "The last two you may take this evening. The blue one is Dreamless Sleep. Now, I want you to be careful with these two potions-"

"They have a high rate of dependency, sir, I know."

"Yes, don't interrupt." He said sharply. She apologized softly. "The third one-" he paused and considered her a moment before crossing to his own desk and picking up a folded piece of parchment. He returned to her and held it out to her slowly, almost unsure if he should let her take it. She closed her hand around the parchment and looked at him curiously. "The last yellow vial I suggest you take before reading your mail this evening. Once you've done that, read this parchment." He looked uncomfortable and Hermione nearly asked why but held her tongue. She stood carefully, using her good leg as the main support. She almost jumped when she felt his hand on her elbow, steadying her. She was heading toward the door when she turned back to face him.

"Sir, what is the last potion?" He looked uncomfortable again.

"It's for nausea."

"Why would my mail cause nausea?"

"I'm not comfortable discussing it today. Go home." She shot him one last confused look before tucking the potions into her robes and opening the door to the laboratory. Frannie raised her eyebrows at her, and Hermione just shook her head.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Fran." The older woman smiled and nodded while Hermione grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder from the fireplace on the wall behind the register and stepped in. She spoke her destination quietly, distracted, and stepped out in the kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

The smell of lamb and carrots immediately assaulted her nose and her stomach growled loudly. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Mister Weasley all turned to see her stepping from the hearth, brushing her robes off. She sat down next to Harry and accepted the cup of tea he offered to her. She sipped at it, staring at the knots in the wooden table.

"Work go okay?" Ron asked her. She looked up and smiled, nodding slowly. He still looked at her the way her used to, when they were seeing each other formally. He still looked at her with admiration and longing, and when he did, guilt gnawed at her core. Even though he agreed that they were better off as friends, he still looked at her that way.

"Yeah, it went fine. Just another day, I suppose. I've got different potions to try for the pain. Hey, have I got any mail?" Ginny nodded and slid two letters down the table to her. They were watching her closely as she lifted the first letter and set it aside. Junk mail from a witch's magazine begging for subscribers. She picked up the second letter and furrowed her brow at the official Ministry of Magic seal. Harry rested a hand on her arm, causing her to look up at him. He looked nervous.

"Before you open that, Hermione, you need to know that there are always options." She felt her breath quicken, suddenly terrified of what the envelope may contain. She placed the letter back on the table and unstoppered the yellow potion, swallowed it in one go, and set the vial aside.

"Hermione, what was that?" Ginny asked carefully.

"For nausea. Professor Snape suggested I take it before opening my mail. You all just confirmed the need." She lifted the letter and opened it slowly.

 _"Dear Miss Granger,_ " she read aloud.

 _"We feel it necessary to inform you of a law intended to pass requiring all muggle born witches and wizards that are of age, or will be of age by September 1_ _st_ _, to marry a witch or wizard too of age no later than October 1_ _st_ _of this year, 2001."_ She felt her fingers shaking and was suddenly aware of the stillness in the room. Mrs. Weasley had stopped stirring the stew on the stove, and Mr. Weasley sat across from them with his teacup poised in front of him in midair. Her three friends watched her with caution as she continued to read.

 _"Due to the dramatic decrease in magical blood in the Pure Blood community, all mixed blood couples will be required to produce a child within the first year of marriage. Upon verification of the first-born child, the couple shall be awarded fifty-thousand gallions."_ Her voice had grown higher in pitch and she'd begun to truly shake. She yanked one trembling hand through her chaos of hair and willed herself to continue reading.

 _"Attached is a list of available suiters. You will note that the first list contains suiters within your immediate vicinity. The second list includes suiters further away. The lists are separate for your convenience."_ She pulled the second parchment from behind the first one and her eyes ran over it quickly. At the very top of the list were, of course, Harry and Ron. The next name from theirs was—she swallowed hard and suddenly realized the need for nausea relief—Severus Snape. The rest of the names were ones she recognized as either former Deatheaters or those she had never even given a thought. Most were names she'd never heard before. Hermione suddenly felt faint and dropped the parchments to lower her head into her hands.

"Hermione," She raised her head to look at Ron. Before he spoke again, she shook her head sadly.

"Ron...I-" She took a deep breath. "I can't marry you. You know it would never work out, and we would make each other miserable." He smiled sadly and reached across the table to pat her hand kindly. She did not miss the glare aimed at her by Mrs. Weasley

"No," he said with a smile. "I was going to ask what was on the parchment Snape gave you." She gasped and snatched it up from the table, having forgotten about it completely. She pressed her lips together, her eyebrows knitted into a line on her forehead, and unfolded the parchment. This time, she read silently to herself.

 _"To whom it may concern,_

 _I, Severus Tobias Snape, formally offer my proposal of marriage to Miss Hermione Jean Granger."_ Hermione dropped the parchment and bolted for the kitchen door, desperate for the bathroom. Despite the potion, she felt sick rising in her throat and just barely made it to the toilet.

The five others left in the kitchen watched the door slam behind her, baffled. Harry reached over and grabbed up the parchment, blanching. He turned it toward the rest of them, allowing them to read it as well. Ron looked angry, while Ginny looked merely shocked. Mister and Missus Weasley gasped in unison.

Hermione leaned back from the toilet, resting her back against the bathtub. After a moment, she lifted herself from the floor, splashed her face with cold water, took several deep breaths and took the stairs back to the kitchen. She reentered with a determined face, flipped Severus' missive over and scribbled on the back. For a moment, she paused. But then she seemed to come to a hard decision and sent the letter through the Floo to the Apothecary.

"Hermione, what-?" Harry was shaking his head and watching her, confused.

"I accepted," she snapped, and left the kitchen again.


	2. Engaged

The Weasleys started when the front door slammed shut, setting off Mrs. Black's portrait in the hall. Mrs. Weasley growled in frustration and went to tend to the screaming portrait. The remaining members exchanged looks of concern and then Ron jumped to his feet, his chair scraping against the stone floor. He bolted for the kitchen door and then the front door slammed again.

"What the hell are they-" Harry was cut off when Ron burst back into the kitchen, panting.

"Hermione apparated. I don't know where she went."

"Maybe she just needs some time to think. She'll come back when she's ready," Ginny said knowingly. Harry and Ron both gave her worried looks.

"I hope you're right, Ginny."

Hermione unlocked the door to the Apothecary, sure that Severus had retired to his flat above the store by this point. It had gotten late, and the store had been closed just over three hours. She quietly locked the door behind her and made her way toward the door that lead to his flat. A rustling behind her caused her to jump. A hand on her arm drew a squeak of surprise and she felt herself whirled around. Two strong hands took her by the shoulders and held her still. It was a long, silent moment before someone spoke.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione relaxed slightly and released a breath she hasn't realized she'd been holding.

"Professor, I-"

"You shouldn't be here." She froze for a moment, and then leaned her face closer to his, inhaling.

"Please tell me all cauldrons were extinguished before you started drinking." His fingers tightened on her arms and she gasped in pain.

"How dare you-" he started to growl but was cut short.

"How dare I?" Hermione seethed, wrenching her arms free and rubbing her right shoulder, which had started throbbing painfully. "How dare you, sir? Why didn't you tell me? You knew the entire day and you didn't say a word!" In the darkness, she saw him take a step back and lower his head.

"I thought you should read it for yourself lest you think I was playing a cruel joke."

"About that," Hermione said, her voice low. "What are you playing at? You offered for me? You're my boss! What do you expect-"

"You accepted." His voice was low, and she wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

"I beg your pardon?" He took another step forward, towering over her now. Hermione lifted her wand. " _Lumos_." He was sneering at her.

"You accepted." He took another step toward her. She stepped back and felt herself press against the wall. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared back at him. "So, what, Miss Granger, are you playing at?"

"No."

"No?"

"No. You don't get to do that. You do not get to do that! You're my boss. What were you thinking?" When he stepped forward, she had no room to move back and they were very nearly touching. She could feel his breath on her.

"I was thinking that, despite the war being over, you are still in danger. There are still death eaters who harbor a grudge against you and your friends."

"So, you intend to protect me." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Severus noted that she sounded skeptical. When he responded, he spoke quickly, giving her no chance to interrupt.

"You've been working for me for two years, is that correct? Yes. You are twenty years old, which means I have known you almost a decade. Potter has already married the Weasley girl, I can almost guarantee that you would kill Ronald Weasley were you to marry him. Am I correct in assuming most of the suitors on your list were former Deatheaters?" She nodded, stunned. "As I suspected. So, your choices are to marry me and keep your job, your friends, and your life, or marry someone who will likely take great pride and joy in torturing you. The solution seemed...rather obvious. And you accepted. So, what exactly, Miss Granger, were you thinking?" When she didn't respond, he nodded. "Indeed." He spun away from her and she saw, with the light from her wand, that he'd begun pacing.

"Professor, I-" she broke off, unsure of what to say to him. "So that's it, then?" He stopped pacing and turned back to face her. "We're engaged?" He smirked, but didn't respond. Instead, he strode toward the door to his flat and unlocked it with a flick of his fingers.

"Come with me. This ought to be discussed over tea. Wouldn't you agree?" She nodded slowly, feeling rather dazed, and walked toward him. He allowed her to enter before him, and shut the door behind them. He led her up the stairs with a hand on her back, moving them quickly, and reached over her shoulder to open another door. She stepped through into quite a comfortable-looking sitting room. With another flick of his fingers, he set the fireplace ablaze, adding a comforting light to the room. She almost relaxed. He walked around her and offered her the sofa to sit on. She sank into it with a sigh, realizing quite suddenly how tense she'd been and rolled her neck and shoulders to loosen the muscles. He shot her considering glances out of the corner of his eye as he prepared tea. Within moments, it was done, and he placed a cup in front of her on the table, along with milk and sugar. She sipped it black, cradling its warmth between her hands. He sat beside her, leaving a considerable amount of space between them. He placed his teacup on the table and turned to look at her. She was thinking hard about something; he could tell in the glazed look her eyes had adopted and the way she worried her lower lip. Before he could say anything, she opened her mouth to speak.

"You're right." She turned to look at him, smirking at his shocked expression before turning back to her tea. "I would likely kill Ron. I love him, he's a great friend, but we never did work out as a couple. But I can't see myself with...anyone. None of the men on that list can I see myself with. No offense, Professor, but I can't even picture us together."

"None taken, believe me," he gruffed, turning to look into the fire. She shook her head and set her teacup down to rest her head in her hands.

"I really don't have a choice, do I? Neither of us do. If we want to keep to Apothecary open and running and remain where we need to be, we don't have a choice." She heard him sigh and raised her head to look at him. He saw her eyes filled with tears threatening to spill over. "This is all happening so quickly." He raised his eyes to the ceiling. He'd never been comfortable with crying women, and the fact that this woman would be his wife made him even more uncomfortable. _Merlin save me._

 _"_ Miss Granger, I promise that I don't wish the be married any more than you do." He paused and looked at her again, watched her swipe away a couple of tears that had escaped their confinement. "Let me make this very plain. This would be a marriage of convenience. Nothing more. However, the ministry does require...certain things to be met." She watched him intently, and he recognized it as the same attention she gave during a class lecture. "We must spend at least four nights together. Two of those nights must be spent—ah—attempting to fulfill the point of the law." She looked confused and he sighed. They were both adults, for Merlin's sake. "Sex, Miss Granger." To his amusement, she blushed and looked down to her lap. But surely, she wasn't a—no, he would worry about that later.

"Do you understand, Miss Granger?" She took a deep breath and slowly nodded. "Now," he continued, "we won't be legally engaged until I've...claimed you." She looked up sharply and he barked a laugh at her expression of indignance. "Not to worry, girl, I shan't sully your innocence just yet. A token of sorts is required to symbolize the pending union."

"Like an engagement ring?"

"Precisely." She looked as exhausted as she felt, and he realized it would be a good time to hurry the evening along. The effects of the alcohol he'd had before her arrival had long worn off and he wanted nothing more than to retire to his bed. He stood and went to his bedroom. Out of her site, he opened the top drawer of his armoire and dug through the neatly folded clothes until he found a small emerald green box. He lifted it, brushed the dust off, and opened it to be sure it hadn't somehow become empty in the years it laid untouched. How humiliating that would be. The ring was small. In the middle was a round diamond. Two tiny emeralds flanked either side of it.

He returned to the couch and asked her to stand. Slowly, he opened the box and Hermione stilled a gasp.

"It's-"

"Microscopic?" He finished wryly. She surprised them both with a laugh.

"No! I was going to say 'it's beautiful.'" He shifted uncomfortably and grumbled under his breath. "Sorry?"

"It was my—my mother's. It was left on to me when she passed. I daresay, I never expected to actually use it." He raised an eyebrow at her left hand significantly and she raised it, realizing then that she was shaking. He steadied her hand with his own and slipped the ring onto the correct finger. It fit her as though it had been made for her, which he found almost frightening.

"What do we do now?" She asked, her voice strangely breathy. "Do we kiss?" He eyes snapped up to hers. She was trying to make a joke. He rolled his eyes.

"If you wish it, Miss Granger, it is your choice." She pulled back from him, watched him closely, and then slowly moved toward him. He froze, his hand still grasping hers. It would have to happen sooner or later, and she figured she'd get it out of the way. He watched her cautiously as she leaned forward, his eyes never leaving her face. Hermione stood on her tip toes and angled her face toward his. When he didn't move, she huffed in exasperation.

"This takes the effort of two people, you know." Without thinking, he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. She was surprised at how warm his lips were. For a moment they simply stood, their mouths pressed together, but then his free arm wound around her waist and he pulled her closer to him. She gasped and felt him deepen the kiss only slightly, and then realized she was returning it. It didn't last long before they pulled apart, breathing more heavily than they'd been before. He released her quickly and she looked down at her feet.

"I'd better get home. I left in rather a hurry, and I can imagine they're a bit worried." He nodded and extinguished the fire so she may use the Floo. Before she disappeared, he saw her quirk a small smile, tears still in her eyes, and realized that neither of them had any idea what they were getting into.

She stepped out of the Floo and back into the kitchen rather shakily. Everyone was still there, apparently waiting to see if she would return or not. There almost seemed to be a group sigh of relief when she sat down at the table. Her bum had barely hit the seat when Ron snatched her left hand off of the table and held it in front of his face, as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. And perhaps he didn't.

"Ronald!" Hermione snapped, yanking her hand back.

"So, you really accepted, then." His voice was flat, and she realized that he'd actually been hoping she would marry him. Slowly, she nodded. Harry cleared his throat and excused himself from the table to pace the kitchen.

"I told you there were options, Hermione. If you'd have waited, we could have thought of something else. But you had to jump off the handle, didn't you? What were you thinking? Were you thinking at all?" He stopped at the sound of Hermione's hand slapping down on the table. She stood up to face him, trembling, her face turning quite an unbecoming shade of scarlett.

"Of course it's easy for you to say that, Harry. You're already married! You don't have to worry about being married off to Deatheaters or having to leave your job and home because of a stupid fucking law. I made the choice that was most convenient for me _and_ for Professor Snape." She found herself mere inches from Harry's face and took a quick step back. "Harry, I'm sorry," she gasped, and dissolved into tears. He stepped back toward her and wrapped her in a hug and Hermione thought that there could be no one better to consider her brother than Harry. She felt another hand rubbing her back and smelled Ginny's perfume. Ron stayed seated where he was, glaring at his hands clasped on the table. She disentangled herself from Harry's embrace and smiled weakly at the two of them.

"I think I need to be alone for a little while. If anyone needs me, I'll be in the bath tub." She stepped passed her adopted family, returning small smiles from the people that had become more parents to her than her own parents, and headed toward the bathroom.

Her bath water was too hot, but the scalding water helped to bring her back to reality. She hissed as the water washed over her, causing her skin to tingle. What a fine mess the Ministry had caused. After far too long in the water, she pulled her pajamas on and padded to her room. The clock in the hall read 1:47 in the morning and she knew that she wouldn't fall asleep easily. Instead, she pulled a book into bed with her and read until pink and orange light spilled through her window. She hadn't slept at all.


	3. Scorned

Hermione rushed into work. Her morning shower had lasted longer than she'd intended (she was sure she'd nodded off at some point,) and she was almost twenty minutes late for her shift. She'd simply thrown on a pair of denims and an oversized sweater and rushed out the door, not bothering with her hair. Harry and Weasleys watched her in stunned silence as she grabbed her bag, threw on her coat, and shoved some toast in her mouth before bolting for the Floo.

"I was about to owl you." Frannie said, her eyebrows knitted together in concern. Hermione sent her a half-hearted wave and scrambled to throw on her work robes in the back room.

"Miss Granger, I was concerned you may not show up today." She startled and spun around to face her boss...er...fiancé.

"I'm here. I'm so sorry." He watched her closely as she pulled her hair out of the neck of her robes and looked up at him, waiting for him to say something. He didn't. Instead he noticed the deep circles beneath her eyes and how pale she was. She hadn't slept. He glowered at her.

"I gave you a sleeping potion. You didn't take it?"

"Uhm-no. It slipped my mind." She responded, distracted with filling out her time sheet for the week.

"Did you take the pain potion?" He asked. She groaned and hung her head, her hand still poised on the time sheet.

"That slipped my mind, as well." She put the quill down and turned to face him. "I'm so sorry. I have a lot on my mind today, and I should have thought ahead." He held up his hand to silence her. She bit her lip.

"I'll get you another potion. Concentrate on work today, and after, we will talk. Understood? Not a word of our...predicament...is to be said to anyone today."

"Well-about that-"

"Merlin, girl, who did you tell? It only happened last night!" He asked, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

"You do know that I live with five other people, don't you?" She snapped. "They were concerned and waited up for me last night. They saw the ring. What exactly was I supposed to say?" Severus opened his mouth to speak, but snapped it shut audibly. She flinched at the sound.

"No one else. Do you understand? Until we figure out the fine details, I do not want a word of this spoken."

"Fine by me. I don't want a bunch of people knowing about my personal life anyway."

"Good." He growled.

"Good." She countered and stalked past him to relieve Frannie, who watched her with concern as she counted her register, stopping several times to start over. Hermione shook her head in frustration and closed her drawer, mumbling that she would worry about it later.

"Maybe I should finish out the day, dear. Quite frankly, you look like hell."

"No, it's alright. I just didn't sleep well, is all. I'll be fine."

"You mean you didn't sleep at all." Severus stood in front of their counter, holding out two vials for her, his eyebrow raised in irritation. One was recognizable as the pain potion he'd given to her the day before. The second one she knew to be Pepper Up. She took both with a small smile of gratitude and downed them both, one after the other. Her eyes drifted closed as she felt them work their magic on her nerves and fatigue. When she opened them, he was watching her intently. Suddenly, he turned on his heal and returned to his laboratory.

"Hermione," Frannie said slowly, turning to face her, but her eyes remained on the closed door. "What's going on?" Hermione shook her head and waved her off.

"Nothing, of course. Why do you ask?" As her hand drifted back to her side, Frannie snatched it back up, holding it between them so that her ring was in full view.

"What the hell is this?" Frannie's voice had raised several decibels. Hermione yanked her hand back.

"It's not something I'm at liberty to discuss right now," she said, her tone hinting danger. Frannie frowned and narrowed her eyes at her.

"Right. I'll see you tomorrow then, won't I?" Hermione nodded and grumbled in the affirmative, turning back to her register with a groan.

She spent the next six hours cleaning shelves that didn't need cleaning, taking inventory of the store, and ordering potions ingredients that they would need for both sale and brewing in the next week. Traffic in the Apothecary was slow, giving her far too much time to think. When she was just about to close the door and lock it, an owl swooped by her head, dropped a letter on the floor by her feet, and took off again. She grumped after it, and locked the door. The letter was addressed to Severus. She scooped it up, and went to knock on the door to his lab but he opened it before her knuckles could make contact.

"Are we closed?" He asked. She nodded and held to letter out to him. He took it, eyebrows furrowed, and opened it in front of her. His eyes scanned it quickly and he looked up at her, amused. "Your...family...has invited me to dinner. More specifically, Molly Weasley. She frowned and took the letter from him, reading it quickly and rubbed a hand across her mouth.

"You don't have to go if you don't want to." He shook his head, closing the door to the lab behind him.

"They know about us. It would be rude to decline. Grab your things and hang up your robes. We'll arrive together." She nodded and disappeared into the back room. She lifted her robes over her head and grabbed her purse, adjusting her denims and jumper, and met him back in the store. He put a hand to her lower back and steered her toward the Floo. She'd never Flooed with another person before, and hadn't expected to be crushed to his body as they spun through the network.

They arrived in the kitchen, steadying each other. He let her step out before him, and she smiled nervously at the family seated at the table. Harry and Ron were playing Chess. Ginny was talking quietly with her father, their heads leaned toward each other across the table. They all looked up when they stepped out. Mrs. Weasley bustled over to them, taking Hermione's purse and hanging it by the fireplace. She turned her attention to Severus, wrapping him in a warm hug. He patted her back awkwardly.

"Oh, Severus, I sent the invitation so last minute I wasn't sure if you'd make it. I'm so glad you did! It seems we'll be welcoming you to the family soon."

"Erm...yes, Molly. I suppose you will." He fixed his eyes on the head of bushy hair by the sink, pouring two cups of tea. She handed him one, and motioned toward a chair at the table, taking the one across from him, next to Harry. He patted her hand kindly and she offered him a tight smile. Ron glanced at Severus next to him, his expression lacking anything gracious toward their guest. Molly served their meal, steak and kidney pie with beans and broccoli, and for a moment they all ate in silence. After they'd all had a chance to taste their food and sip their tea, Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and looked toward Severus and Hermione.

"So, Severus. Have you two set a date yet?" Hermione dropped her fork on her plate and it clattered loudly. She apologized quickly, placing it on the table next to her plate. She looked down the table at Arthur and took a deep breath, releasing it in a huff.

"Mr. Weasley, it's only just happened last night. We haven't had time to discuss the details."

"I'd intended to bring it up this evening. That is, if you have time after dinner, Miss Granger. Perhaps it will be quiet in the library?" Her eyes met his and she nodded carefully.

"Yes, I have plenty of time." They returned to their meals until Mrs. Weasley spoke next.

"Will you two be living together."

"Oh—no," Hermione stammered. "I don't think we'll be needing to do that."

"So, you'll alternate between your homes? Doesn't seem rather inconvenient."

"With all due respect to Miss Granger," Severus drawled, "I have a great appreciation for quiet and space. Miss Granger's family is here, and she has voiced a wish to remain with you." When she realized he'd been watching her for a response, she nodded and smile reassuringly at the Weasley's.

"Why do you still call her Miss Granger?" Hermione's head snapped up.

"Ron!" She hissed. He shrugged.

"It's a valid question."

"As she has been first my student, and second my employee, I wished to remain on professional terms with M—Hermione." He seemed to force her name out. "But you are correct, Mrs. Weasley. We ought to get used to being on a first name basis." The Weasleys, with the exception of Ron, seemed to accept his answer with ease.

Molly cleared the table when everyone had finished. Hermione stood to help her with the dishes, but she shooed her away.

"You and Severus have matters to discuss. Arthur and I can take care of this. Go on." Severus stood, and Hermione jumped when he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"She's right. We need to talk. Thank you for dinner, Molly. It was very much appreciated." Molly smiled at him.

"You're very welcome, dear. Go on." He gently steered her toward the door to the kitchen and the exited quietly.

"If you'll excuse me one moment, I need to visit the loo. I'll meet you in the library." She nodded and headed up the stairs.

The library was quiet and cool. She lit the fireplace with a flick of her wand, filling the room with warmth and a comforting light. She sat, and not a minute later, the door opened. She looked up, expecting to see Severus, but found Ron standing there instead. She looked at him curiously. He strode toward her and knelt on the floor in front of her. She furrowed her eyebrows and opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but he cut her off.

"Don't marry him, Hermione," he said, his voice filled with emotion.

"What?" She asked, stunned.

"Don't marry him. Marry me." He took her hand in his and stared down at it, afraid to meet her eyes.

"Are you drunk, Ronald?" Her voice was harsher than she'd intended, and she watched him bow his head further.

"No. I'm sober. Hermione, I love you. Please don't marry him." At that, she stood up, pulling her hand from him. He stood up, as well, watching her with caution.

"Ron, we were miserable when we were together. That is a terrible idea."

"You think you'll be happier with him?" He demanded. She threw her hands in the air.

"I'm marrying him for convenience, Ron. It has nothing to do with feelings! We get along fine. We don't have feelings for each other!"

"The hell he doesn't," Ronald growled, stepping toward her. She looked at him in disbelief. "I saw the way he was looking at you, Hermione. He damn well does have feelings for you." She must have looked dangerous, because he stepped back again and continued quietly, "he's watched you for two years. He's been close to you for two years. You're on the same level intellectually. And look at you! How could he not? How else do you explain his proposal the exact day that the law was passed?" She didn't respond and he scoffed at her.

"I need some time, Hermione."

"What does that mean?" She asked, her voice breathy.

"It means I can't be your friend right now. I need time. I need to be able to get over you. I can't see you marry someone else." He shook his head at her silence.

"Ron, please." She squeaked.

"You're making a mistake, Hermione." The door opened behind him, and he turned to see Severus standing in the doorway, watching them curiously.

"Is there a problem?"

"I was just leaving," Ron grumbled and brushed passed him. Hermione dropped her face into her hands, willing herself not to cry.

"Miss Granger?" She didn't move and he took a step toward her. "What happened?"

"He told me not to marry you." Her voice was muffled, but he heard it well enough. He took her wrists and lowered her fingers from her face, not surprised to see that it had grown splotchy from repressed tears. "He said he loves me. He wants to marry me."

"And you wish to marry him instead?" She shook her head.

"No! I don't want to marry him! We were miserable together. We fought constantly. Everything got so much better when we decided to just be friends again. Now he won't even be my friend." Her hand flew to cover her mouth and she couldn't control the sob that escaped her throat. He guided her to the sofa and set her down.

"Give him time." He said, shucking her beneath the chin and bringing her gaze back to his. She nodded, and he eyed her wearily.

"What?" She asked.

"Do you love him?" She shook her head quickly.

"Not the way he loves me." He nodded and looked somewhat relieved.

"That makes things much easier. Now, we need to discuss our...wedding." He grimaced at the word. She nodded and summoned tea.

And hour later, they had agreed to a small ceremony with only the Weasley's and few other mutual friends present at the Ministry. The Apothecary was closed on Sundays, so they agreed the Sunday after next.

Hermione leaned her head back against the sofa and shut her eyes, realizing just how exhausted she felt. She definitely would not neglect her potion tonight. When she opened them, she felt his gaze on her, and looked toward them. He was thinking hard about something, and before she could ask what, he took her face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers. The kiss lasted only seconds, and when he pulled away, she remained in stunned silence.

"I hope you're not too offended that I'm not interested in a roommate. I enjoy my privacy." Well. He certainly knew how to ruin a kiss. She shrugged, shook her head.

"Fine by me." They both stood and headed back downstairs. To her relief, he did not kiss her at the door. She was sure everyone would be watching from any discreet place they could find, and she wasn't particularly interested in giving them a show.

"Take the day tomorrow. I'll close the store. I expect you have some things you would like to get sorted before next Sunday." She must have looked confused because he rolled his eyes at her and crossed his arms against his chest. "Do you intend to get married in your regular robes?" She startled. Of course.

"No, of course not. I'll see to it tomorrow." He nodded and left quietly through the front door. Through it, she heard the faint _pop_ of his apparition.


	4. Threatened

Severus aimed a nod at Frannie's direction and waved his wand at the store's Open sign. It rattled and flipped in the window, and the door unlocked noisily. Frannie cocked her head at him while he counted the register.

"Is Hermione well?" She asked, charming a fire in the fireplace. It was chillier that day, and the fireplace lent a warm welcoming feeling to the shop. He lifted his head and nodded curtly.

"Perfectly fine as far as I know."

"Is she coming in today?"

"Miss Granger has some personal matters to attend to," he replied, his tone hinting that her questions should stop there. Frannie narrowed her eyes at his vague explanation.

"What's going on? She wasn't well yesterday, she was wearing an engagement ring, and you were acting particularly strange toward her." He shut the register and aimed a glare at her. It bothered him that it didn't seem to faze her in the least. With an irritated grunt, he looked around to be sure that no customers had slipped in without his notice.

"Miss Granger is engaged. She needed the day to arrange her garments for the wedding. I granted it." Frannie didn't look fully convinced, and an idea seemed to dawn on her.

"Merlin, is she pregnant? She looked awful yesterday." Severus' stomach turned at the thought. Hermione was an adult woman who, as far as he assumed, had been sexually active. It never occurred to him that he should ask.

"Not that I am aware of." He ground out. Frannie watched the color drain from him face.

"You proposed to her, didn't you?" She gasped. His eyes flashed dangerously.

"This really is none of your business." He snapped and was horrified when she grinned.

"Get out of here, you. You ought to be with her. I can take the shop for the day." He shook his head.

"No, that's not necessary."

"Yes. It is." She suddenly sounded like a mother and he felt like a chastised child. "Now go. I'm sure you have errands you need to run, as well. Go find Hermione, do your shopping, and have a nice meal." She waved a hand at him in a shooing motion. She was right. He did have things he needed to get done. With a curt nod, he thanked her quietly and left the store.

Hermione and Ginny stepped into Madam Malkin's robe shop. Well, Ginny stepped, Hermione was dragged by her friend who had self-proclaimed herself as maid of honor. Hermione was instantly assaulted by garish shades of blue, magenta, yellow, and orange that she knew would never he appropriate even for a ministry wedding.

Ginny ventured further into the store, fearless of the bright colors, and looked for the shop's mistress. Madam Malkin appeared from behind a wall of fabric, looking surprised to see the two young women. She bustled about them, chattering about complimenting colors, and the luster of Ginny's hair.

"Actually, ma'am, we need something for Hermione." Madam Malkin's turned as though she hadn't even noticed Hermione and rushed to her.

"I'm sure I can find something! What is the occasion?"

"I'm-well-my wedding."

"Oh, dear, oh dear! Your wedding! So young, too. No doubt we have that bloody law to blame! Well, come with me, dear. We'll find something." The older witch pulled her further into a shop, through a wall of fabric, and into another room that looked as though a marshmallow had exploded inside. Hermione felt ill.

"Merlin," she squeaked. "Ma'am, this wedding isn't-erm-conventional. I don't think white merengue would be appropriate."

"You don't want to wear white on your wedding day?" The older witch asked with only a modicum of judgement.

"Well, white symbolizes the virgin, which may not be entirely...appropriate." She flinched at the noise Madam Malkin made.

"Do you love this man that you're marrying?" She snapped.

"Er...no, ma'am. He's my boss. We're really getting married for convenience, you see." The older woman seemed to understand this more, and pulled them into a different room. Muted tones surrounded them, and the older witch began holding up different bolts of fabric to Hermione's skin. She vetoed many, gasped in horror at two, and shrugged at four. Finally, Ginny pulled a different bolt down. It was a muted grey-green.

"What about this?" Ginny asked, holding it next to Hermione. "With gold stitching." Madam Malkin studied the color carefully before grinning and clapping her hands together.

"Yes! It's perfect. Now, come with me, dear. I need your measurements. Please remove everything but your undergarments." She showed her to a dressing room, concealed only by a curtain, and left Hermione to undress. Three minutes later, Hermione emerged, her arms wrapped self-consciously around her middle.

"Stand up straight, come now!" The witch tapped her non-too-kindly on the back of the thigh with her wand. Hermione did as she was told and watched as Madam Malkin took measurement of everywhere on her body she could reach. She even measured her head circumference, which Hermione found odd as she didn't intend to wear a viel.

Madam Malkin flicked her wand the fabric and Hermione watched and felt it wrap around her and stitch together with shimmering gold thread. She created quarter length sleeves, which were surprisingly flattering, and a neck that was too low for her comfort. The skirt was long and trailing and elegant. Madam Malkin stepped aside to allow her to look in the mirror. Aside from the neckline, which showed far too much cleavage for her comfort, the robes were perfect. It trimmed the most flattering part of her waste and seemed to make her look thinner. She was impressed.

"Now," the older witch said carefully, her hands pressed together below her chin. "What do we think?"

"It's beautiful," Hermione breathed, turning to get a view of the back. "The neckline, though," she said, reaching a hand up to cover the bits she didn't want exposed, "is a bit low for my comfort. Could we bring it up a couple of inches?"

"The neck is fine." A tall mass of black had appeared behind her in the mirror. The two other witches gasped while Hermione squeaked in horror.

"Professor! You're supposed to be working!" She exclaimed, raising both arms now to cover her chest. "Plans changed," he drawled and she didn't miss the way his eyes moved over her body. Neither did Madam Malkin, apparently, as Hermione felt the fabric move up several inches.

"We'll take it," he said, nodding his head firmly. Hermione gaped at him. "Close your mouth, Miss Granger, or you'll catch flies." She did, and Ginny took her by the arm to guide her back to the dressing room.

"That was weird, Hermione. Really, really weird." She felt Ginny's fingers loosening the long line of buttons down her back and reach up to cover her face with her hands.

"I am mortified!" She groaned. "Isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the dress before the wedding?"

"I've never heard of that before," Ginny said, and Hermione felt her shrug.

"It must just be a muggle tradition, then." She lowered her hands and wrapped her arms around her middle, her head still lowered. Ginny took her by the shoulders and turned her around.

"I need you to lift your head up, figuratively, and literally." She told her. Hermione looked up, confused. "I know your situation isn't ideal, but it could be much worse. Try to be a little more positive." They stared at each other for a long moment, and finally Hermione shook her head hard as though trying to chase away an annoying fly.

"You're right," she said. She stood up straight and squared her shoulders. "You're completely right, Ginny. It's not as though my life will change drastically. That was the whole point, wasn't it?" She turned back around and pulled the dress off, stepping out of it carefully. She folded it and handed it to Ginny so she could dress.

"You know," Hermione mumbled, pulling her jeans up her hips with a little hop and buttoning them. "Ron thinks Professor Snape has feelings for me," she raised an eyebrow at the incredulous look her friend fixed on her.

"He thinks, so, does he?" Ginny said wryly. "Hermione, of course he has feelings for you. Merlin, you're awfully talented at blocking out the opposite sex. It only took you three years to figure out Ron was in love with you." Hemione winced and pulled her jumper over her head. "I'm not mad at you! Ron is a prat, and neither of you were happy together. He was completely unreasonable."

"Thanks, Ginny," Hermione said, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"Ladies!" They both jumped. "We still have one more dress to fit, and if you want to be out of here by midnight, I suggest we hurry this along."

"Your fiancé requests our presence," Ginny said ominously. Hermione smirked and the two left went to join Severus and Madam Malkin.

Once they had picked out deep teal robes for Ginny (Hermione marveled at the way it enhanced her hair color and felt only the smallest pang of jealousy,) Ginny bid them a happy afternoon with a sly look at her friend, and left the store. Hermione met Madam Malkin at the sales counter and took out her wallet. Which was swiftly snatched from her fingers. She looked up, aghast, at Severus as he put it back in her bag with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't be ridiculous, Granger." He grunted, and counted out the proper amount of sickles, knuts, and galleons for their wedding clothes. He himself had been fitted with deep grey dress robes that complimented her own prettily. She blushed.

"Really, it's not a big deal," she said, but Madam Malkin was already handing him his change. He simply turned a scowl back to her. She thanked him quietly and ducked her head. He took their bags, even though she offered to carry at least her own. He glared at her again, and she realized he was trying to be gentlemanly. She smirked up at him, earning herself another glare.

"Is there something amiss, Miss Granger?" He snapped. She shook her head, still smirking.

"No, not at all. What's next on our agenda?"

"May I suggest lunch? I'm sure I'm safe in assuming you haven't eaten today," his tone was almost accusing and she glowered at him.

"I'm not much of a breakfast person lately." He nodded. "Shall we go to The Leaky?" He made a disgusted sound and curled his lip.

"Merlin, no. Can't stand their food. There's another pub around the corner here. Far less greasy and better alcohol." She laughed a little at that, thinking that she'd never had a drink with him before. Of course, she had also never been shopping with him before, either.

He led her into a small pub about a block from the dress shop and she wasn't surprised that she'd never noticed it before. It was set back from the road and mostly concealed by overgrown hedges. The cobblestone walkway was uneven. As they came closer, she took in the ivy-covered stone building and ancient-looking windows. All in all, the pub had an air of exclusivity about it. He held the door open for her and she walked into such a dim light that her eyes had to adjust. The barkeep greeted Severus casually, and Hermione looked up curiously.

"Old acquaintance," he replied simply without looking at her and took her to a booth in a far corner. She couldn't help but wonder if his old acquaintance was one of the former Deatheaters on her list, and judging by the way he was watching her from behind the bar, she guessed that he probably was. The barkeep brought them menus when she sat across from Severus and asked for their drink order.

"Firewhisky," Severus said without looking up.

"Red wine, please?" Severus chuckled, looking over his menu.

"I shouldn't be surprised," he said. Hermione opened her menu, raising her chin a notch.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"Miss Granger can't hold her liquor." If she wasn't mistaken, he was smiling behind his menu.

"Invite me for a drink after dark and then judge," she raised an eyebrow at him, almost shocked at herself. Was she flirting with him? She supposed it wouldn't be such a scandal if she was, since they would be married in less than a fortnight. He considered her over his menu, her face lowered, watching her from beneath his hair.

"Perhaps I will take you up on that." Her stomach flipped at his tone and she forced herself to choose her food. She chose the first, most comforting item on the menu. Almost as though the barkeep could sense that they were ready, he appeared beside them.

"Shephard's Pie, please, Lance." The barkeep—Lance—turned to look at Hermione, still watching her too closely for comfort.

"Fish and chips." He took their menus and kept his eyes on her as he walked away.

"He is about to become an old, dead acquaintance," Severus said in a low voice. She looked at him, surprised.

"Thank Merlin, I thought I was being paranoid. Wait—Lance. Lance McAllastair?" He nodded. "He was on my list!"

"I know," Severus said, eyeing her carefully. "So were Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy, and Thorfinn Rowle." Her eyebrows knitted together.

"But, how did you-"

"Because the lot of them owled me after our engagement was sealed, accusing me of stealing their wife."

"Did they threaten you?" She demanded. He eyes locked on hers.

"Rowle did," he admitted reluctantly. Hermione ran a hand across her mouth and groaned.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I just did-"

"No. When it happened. Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because the situation is under control." His tone suggested the conversation was over, and when Hermione opened her mouth to speak again, he aimed a particularly deadly glare at her, and she snapped it shut. She sat back in her booth, arms crossed against her stomach, and chewed her lip. When Lance brought their food, she only picked at it until Severus sat his fork down and fixed his eyes on her.

"Eat, Granger. I won't have you fainting in Diagon Alley."

"I've rather lost my appetite," she muttered.

"Look," he said, and she looked up carefully. "I didn't tell you because it was something unnecessary you would have to worry about. And it seems I was correct in that assumption. Now I regret telling you at all. Rowle's letter was sent directly to the ministry and he's being charged with threatening and intent to do harm. I did not respond to the Malfoys and have heard nothing further. There really is nothing to be concerned about." He tossed back the rest of his firewhisky and seemed to relax only slightly when Hermione picked up her fork and at least feigned interest in her fish.

"Alright, if you say there's no need to worry, I won't worry," she said and took a bite.

"Good. Now. What's next on our agenda?"

An hour later, two empty plates, and too much alcohol later, Hermione and Severus were walking slowly toward Flourish and Blotts so that she could peruse their selection of planners. He raised his eyebrows at her when she told him she needed a new one.

"How many have you got, exactly?"

"Three. But none that work for planning a wedding."

"You have three different planners? You can't keep everything in your head?" She blushed and looked down at her hands.

"It's much easier for me have everything laid out in front of me." He smirked but didn't say anything as they entered the shop. In an instant, he had lost track of her and rolled his eyes, deciding to occupy his time with a new potions text that he hadn't had the chance to order.

Hermione examined the wall of planners in front of her, a little overwhelmed by the selection. On the bottom shelf, in the right corner, she spotted a small collection of four wedding planners and began flipping through them. She vetoed all of them with a curled lip and grunt of disgust. She didn't need floral layouts and cheesy love quotes. She picked up another one with a deep blue leather cover. It felt nice in her hands, and she opened it to find a simple weekly layout. She could charm the correct dates into it and it had blank pages that she could charm as well into the function she needed. She tucked it under her arm.

"Ah, Miss Granger," Hermione froze. She knew that voice and was loath to turn around and face who it belonged to. Lucius Malfoy placed a hand on her shoulder. "Pleasure seeing you here. Although I shouldn't be surprised." His tone suggested that it was not in fact a pleasure to see her. He sounded almost...angry. She flinched away from his hand and spun around.

"Is there something I can do for you, Lucius?" She asked, instantly regretting her word choice.

"Oh, I believe there are a great many things you can do for me, my dear." His eyes raked over her body slowly. He didn't even bother to hide his expression. His lip turned up in a smile that made Hermione's stomach turn. "Where shall I start, I wonder?" He took a step toward her, but she stayed planted where she was. She wouldn't show weakness. He looked around them, seeming to be looking for someone.

"And where is your fiancé, I wonder." He didn't sound curious. It sounded like a challenge.

"In the potions section would be my assumption," she said, fixing him with a hard glare and gripping her wand almost painfully. She released a deep breath of relief and Severus pushed passed Lucius to stand next to her, putting her arm around her shoulder in more of a possessive manner than a protective one.

"Is there something you're looking for, Lucius?" Lucius curled his lip at his former friend.

"I wouldn't leave her alone for too long, Severus. Pretty little girl like that, someone may...take advantage if you leave her vulnerable." Severus clutched Hermione's shoulder, pulling her closer into his side.

"Is that a threat?" He growled. Hermione looked up at him and his expression scared even her. But it didn't seem to faze Lucius.

"It's a warning. You've made enemies, Severus. Stay on your guard." Lucius turned on his heel and strode out of the shop.

Only when he was out of view, did Severus feel Hermione begin to shake. He pulled her to sales counter, paid for their books, and they left the store. Once outside, he pulled her close to him and they apparated into his flat.

She sat down heavily on the sofa, her hand pressed to her chest, and watched him move across the room to the liquor cabinet. He poured two healthy glasses of Ogden's Best and handed her one, but didn't sit next to her. He stood board straight and stared down his nose at her while she cradled the smoking glass between her hands, staring straight ahead. She was still trembling.

"Drink," he instructed. She glanced up at him and brought the glass to her lips, taking a small sip, and then throwing back the entire thing with a hiss as the burning liquid lit a fire down her throat. It seemed to pull her out of her stupor, and she handed to glass back to him. He refilled it and she took another hefty gulp.

"Maybe our marriage won't be as convenient as we thought," she said in a thoughtful tone. He took a deep breath and released it noisily.

"You understand that if we don't go through with it now, you will be even more vulnerable?" She took a deep breath of her own and nodded, taking another large drink of her firewhiskey. Still, he didn't sit down, but fixed her with an intent stare. She looked up and held his gaze.

"I will protect you, Miss Granger."

"I can handle myself, you know." She snapped, and immediately felt guilty. "I'm sorry. I know you're only trying to help. Thank you." He dropped onto the sofa next to her and watched as she tossed back her second glass of Ogden's. He summoned the bottle and refilled it for her. It wasn't after dark, but it appeared as though his fiancée did have a taste for hard liquor.

For a time, they sat in silence, and Hermione felt herself growing more and more intoxicated. He'd refilled her glass three times before she turned accusing eyes to him.

"If I didn't know any better, Professor, I'd say you're trying to get me drunk." He chuckled and refilled his own glass, but only for the first time.

"If I didn't know any better, Miss Granger, I would say you're already drunk." She laughed, a light tinkling sound, that didn't give any indication that she may have been troubled only an hour earlier.

"You may be right." She looked down at her watch and swore under her breath, standing unsteadily and throwing back the last of what remained in her glass. "I ought to be getting home."

"I don't think so," he said and she turned to look at him, confused. "You're not apparating unless you want to splinch yourself, and you're not Flooing lest you end up drunk somewhere in Afghanistan. Stay here tonight. Go back in the morning." He stood and took her glass from her hands as she protested indignantly.

"Is that appropriate?" She asked, and he could tell she was trying to sound sober. Her slurred words and drooping eyelids proved just how drunk she was. He scoffed at her.

"In a few short days we will be sharing a bed several times a week. Have you forgotten that?" She paled and shook her head.

"No, I haven't forgotten. I just wasn't sure if it was ok-I mean—before the wedding and all." He silenced her with one hand held up.

"I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you while you're drunk."

"But you would if I was sober?" He glowered at her and pulled her across the floor into his bedroom. She stood just inside the door awkwardly, looking around while he dug through his drawers. He handed her a folded black t-shirt that had been gifted to him years before and he'd never worn.

"Sleep in that if you'd like. Or stay in your clothes. It hardly matters to me." He turned away from her and began unbuttoning his own many layers of robes. He slipped them off, along with his shoes, but left his trousers on. She pulled her jumper over her head and slipped the tshirt on over her bra. It reached nearly to her knees, and she stripped her denims off.

He was already in bed when she turned around with the cover pulled back on the opposite side and she chewed her lip nervously for a moment.

"Honestly, Granger. I'm not going to molest you," he rolled his eyes. She padded to the open side of the bed and climbed in. With a flick of his fingers, the lights went out and she rolled to face him. As her eyes adjusted, she saw that he was facing her as well, and in an act of impulse, and stretched forward and pressed her mouth to his for a split second and fell back on her pillow.

"Goodnight, Severus." She murmured. She felt him rest a hand on her hip and mumbled a soft 'goodnight' back before she closed her eyes and drifted off.


	5. Amused

The next morning, Severus was trying not to contemplate her drunken kiss too much. He did wonder, however, if she would even remember. He rolled over and watched her sleep for too long before hoisting himself out of bed and making his way toward the loo. He showered quickly, not allowing himself too much time beneath the hot spray of water before he stepped out and dried himself off. After running a toothbrush over his teeth quickly, he went back to the bedroom. Hermione was sat up in bed, massaging her forehead with the heel of her hand. He smirked at her and tossed her a clean towel.

"We slept too late. Shower and freshen your clothes. We'll already be opening an hour later than scheduled." She gasped and scrambled out of bed, stopping mid step when her head throbbed behind her eyes and her stomach lurched.

"Will you ready a hangover potion for me, please?" She asked as she shut the bathroom door behind her, leaving him no time to respond. He glared at the slab of wood between them and dressed quickly. He heard the shower run and thanked the Gods that he only lived upstairs from his business. Ten minutes later, Hermione emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her and her bra hanging from her fingers. He skin was pink from the hot water. He wasn't sure why he had to tear his eyes away from her. He had seen naked women before. 'Because you still think of her as your annoying, swotty student.' He thought bitterly. But as she bent over her clothes pooled on the floor, he came to the realization so suddenly that he almost lost his breath.  
Hermione Granger was a woman. A grown woman and he would be marrying her. And this wouldn't be the last time she was wrapped in only a towel in his bedroom. He willed his physical reaction away and crossed back to the bathroom to fetch her potion, handing it to her without a word. He left her to dress in privacy and in no time she met him in the living room, her hair tied tightly away from her face. They walked to the door together but he stopped and turned to face her with a puzzled expression.

"There's a question I need to ask you," he said slowly, thinking about Frannie's reaction to their engagement. She cocked her head in question.  
"Is there any possibility-any at all-that you could be pregnant." She laughed and him and he grit his teeth.

"No. None at all."

"But if you've been sexually active-"

"Not in two years." He was taken aback-yet relieved-by that.

"You were with Weasley just last year," he said, eyebrows raised skeptically.

"Yes, and things had gone sour the year before. It wasn't for his lack of trying, of course, but I just lost interest in him physically. I promise you I'm not, and can't be pregnant." She opened the door and they descended the stairs together.

"What on earth put that thought in your head?" She asked as they worked together to open the store. He counted the register while she flipped signs and unlocked the door.

"Nothing," he said shortly, but she clearly didn't believe him based in the look she threw him over her shoulder.

They finished opening, and Severus went to work on his brewing without another word to her. She dusted and reorganized and sorted paperwork. It was Thursday. The shop was always slow on Thursdays. She supposed it hadn't hurt them to open later, after all.

The door swung open, causing the little bell the jingle and she looked up from where she was seated on the floor in front of a couple shelves that needed resorting.

Harry stared down at her, a knowing smirk coloring his features. He held out a cup of takeout coffee and she stood, accepting it with gratitude.

"You didn't come home last night." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.

"Are you judging me, Harry Potter?" She asked with a smirk, sipping her coffee. He shook his head, holding up his hands in defense.

"No, no. Not at all. You're a big girl, Hermione." He followed her to the counter and they both leaned against it, facing one another. "So, Ginny said that you're betrothed showed up at Madam Malkin's. Isn't it bad luck to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding?" Hermione laughed out loud.

"That's what I said! Ginny didn't know what I was talking about." Harry chuckled.

"So, what happened after? Did you-?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively and she squeaked indignantly.

"You really think I would tell you? You're insane." She reached across the counter and slapped his arm playfully. His eyes widened and his eyebrows raised almost to his hairline.

"You did, didn't you?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No, Harry. We shopped and had lunch. I got a little drunk, but we just slept." She paused for a moment. "And I may have kissed him." She conveniently left out their encounter with Lucius.

"You're a rebel," Harry said sarcastically.

His worries assuaged, Harry took his leave just as Frannie was coming in for her shift. Frannie aimed a wide grin at her, her grey hair bobbing around her face.

"I believe congratulations are in order!" She said, and offered Hermione a plastic water bottle. The contents looked like a paler Felix Felices. Hermione opened her mouth to ask.

"It's champaign," Frannie said with a wink. Hermione took the water bottle, attempting to look grateful but was sure she had failed and only looked bewildered.

"Wow. Thanks, Fran. That-uh-that means a lot. Really."

"I thought maybe you and Severus could celebrate a little bit more." Hermione chuckled and hugged her coworker before disappearing into the back room to strip off her work robes. She dug up two empty Erlenmeyer flasks and crossed the shop floor to the laboratory floor with a sly smile toward Frannie, who threw a grin back at her.

She opened the door and found him bent over a cauldron, reducing the heat so it would simmer. It smelled like Pepper Up. He looked up at her briefly and looked down again, only to look back up when he saw what was in her hands.

"Frannie wants us to celebrate," she explained.

"With what-a bottle of urine?" Hermione stopped mid step and scoffed.

"No. It's champagne," she said and continued toward him, placing the flasks and bottle on the edge of his work desk.

"Unfortunately, I don't think I will be imbibing today," he granted and looked into the cauldron to be sure it was turning the proper shade of orange.

"Oh my god, are you pregnant?" She asked, grinning at him. He looked up, fixing her with a glare, but she saw a glint of amusement in his eye.

"You're joking, are you?"

"Yeah, I couldn't help it." She shrugged and poured herself a small amount of the champagne, sipping it slowly.

"Granger, I need to confide in you," he said slowly. She gasped dramatically.

"You are pregnant!" He couldn't help but chuckle. Her smile really was becoming.

"Jokes aside, after my question this morning, I felt I needed to be honest with you, as well." The smiled melted from her face and she waited.  
"I haven't exactly been celibate."

"What, in the last few days?" She asked.

"No," he scoffed, disgusted that she would suggest that he would be unfaithful, despite the nature of their relationship. "In the past months and years. I have had...several...partners."

"Well, were you safe?" She asked, leaning forward, suddenly invested in the conversation.

"Yes, of course!"

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, as long as you're not diseased or otherwise involved with any of these women, the past is the past and has nothing to do with me." He seemed to look relieved and she smiled at him.

He leaned across the table and pressed his lips to hers. She sighed against his mouth, returning it with a smile still tugging at her lips. He pulled away a fraction of the inch, and he wasn't sure if it was the taste of the champagne on her lips, or the taste of _her,_ but he leaned in again, kissing her with more urgency. She gasped and found her arms winding around his neck. Suddenly, he broke away from her, but was in front of her on her side of the bench in an instant, pulling her to her feet and against his chest where he recapture her lips.

So lost were they in each other that Hermione was genuinely surprised to feel her back hit the wall. She gasped in surprise when his hands wrapped under her thighs, lifting her off of the ground and wrapping them around his hips. His lower body supported her while his hands slipped beneath her jumper, exploring the skin of her waist and stomach.

She broke their kiss with a sigh and he took that opportunity to drag his mouth over her throat and down to her collarbone. He reached up and pulled her hair out of its bun, allowing the chaos of curls to tumble hither and yon around her face and shoulders. It was longer than he'd realized and, keeping one hand beneath her jumper, he tangled the other one into the strands.

Her hands gripped his shoulders. He shifted his hips just slightly and her breath caught her in chest when the hard evidence of his arousal pressed against her inner thigh. They paused, breathing hard with their faces only inches from each other. Each seemed to be asking the silent question _what now?_ She felt his fingers creeping toward her breast. He was waiting for her to react, to give him the go ahead or tell him to stop. When she leaned forward and nipped at his lower lip, his hand moved quickly, shoving under the fabric of her bra and caressing the soft skin beneath.

He was kissing her again. Her tongue ventured out to seek entrance and he opened his mouth to her, drinking in the little gasps and moans she released whenever his thumb found her nipple. He felt her legs beginning to tremble around him, losing their strength to hold her up, and he hoisted her easily and lowered them both to the cool stone floor, remaining between her legs. His thumb and forefinger pinched and rolled her nipple and he smirked in satisfaction when her back arched into him, growling with need when her hips ground against him. His tongue found a sensitive spot between her throat and her shoulder and she gasped.

All of a sudden, her eyes flew open and her hands pushed at his shoulders. They were moving too fast. Two days ago, they were professional colleagues and now they were close to fucking on the laboratory floor. He pulled away from her, breathing hard, and looked down at her with a mixture of desire and confusion. Although, Hermione was sure there was more desire than confusion in his expression.

"We shouldn't," she whispered. He looked frustrated but nodded and climbed off of her. She took his proffered hand and he tugged her to her feet where she readjusted her clothes.

"I didn't think you would be against sex before marriage, considering Mr. Weasley," he grumbled.

"I do not have anything against sex before marriage," Hermione snapped. "I'm against sex at work, especially on the floor of your lab." He raised an eyebrow and nodded, smirking just slightly.

"Do you have anything against sex in a private bedroom?" She laughed and shook her head.

"I have absolutely nothing against sex in a bedroom. Or a living room. Or a kitchen for that matter. I'll see you tonight." His eyes flashed again, and just as he was about to reach for her, she disapperated.


	6. Explained

**A/N:**

 **Thank you all so much for reading this far. I hope you're enjoying it. I wanted to share with you another author whom I've been greatly enjoying. She's also a very good friend of mine. u/9654549/Avodacosss. She's a fellow HG/SS writer and a damn good one at that, so I recommend checking her out. ;)**

 **Also, I'm sorry to tease you (again) and leave this chapter off where I do. Patience is a virtue. ;)**

 **XXLisa**

With a soft _pop,_ Hermione landed in front of Grimmauld place and, nervous about how her family would react to her being away all night, she ventured inside. She figured, of course, that Harry had already told them all of the details. She closed the door softly behind her, intent on avoiding everyone, and headed to her bedroom. She needed another shower and to change her clothes.

Molly met her at the top of the stairs, her hands on her round hips, and a knowing smirk playing on her face.

"Did you have a nice evening?" She asked, walking beside Hermione to her bedroom.

"I got drunk and went to sleep," she said, surprised at her blunt tone.

"Well, Ginny told us you'd found dress robes!" Hermione cringed. She'd left them in Severus' flat.

"Yes, I did. I-erm-left them by accident. Molly, I really would like a shower." She smiled apologetically and opened the door to her bedroom, disgruntled when Molly followed her inside. Hermione dug through her drawers, pulling out a long-sleeved top, a cable knit sweater, and a pair of denims. She winced when she shut the bottom drawer and her shoulder gave a particularly bad throb.

"You'll bring them here, won't you? Or are you moving in with him?"

"No! Molly, for goodness sake. I am not moving in with him. We're getting to know each other right now." Molly smiled and stepped forward to pat Hermione's cheek.

"Yes, well. If you need help with the wedding, you'll let me know?" Hermione smiled and nodded, leaning forward to place a kiss on her cheek before heading out the door to the bathroom.

She passed Ron in the hallway and he avoided her gaze with all the tact she knew him to be capable of. Which was none. With his face turned almost into the wall, he nearly ran into his mother. She heard them exchange some heated words, and disappeared into the bathroom.

The hot water eased away the tension she still felt from their activities on the laboratory floor at work. However, thinking about it again caused a tight ball of nervousness to settle in her stomach. Had they just made an arrangement to have sex that night? She laughed out loud. Of course they had. The two most meticulous people she could think of, of course they would have to fit it into their schedules.

Realizing that she'd been in the shower longer than necessary, Hermione washed and conditioned her hair and scrubbed her face and body. Once she was clean, she turned the water off and dried her body, wrapping the towel around her head while she dressed. She barely made it out of the bathroom, rubbing the towel through her hair, when Ginny came flouncing up the stairs with a letter in her hands.

"It's for you!" She said in a sing-song voice and stood there while Hermione opened it, eyeing her with a grin.

 _Miss Granger,_  
 _I am inclined to ask you to dinner this evening in my home before our plans later this evening. Meet me at 8pm. Use the Floo._

 _-SS_

"It's not a raunchy love note, Ginny. He asked me to dinner."

"Er...is that what you're wearing?" Ginny asked, giving Hermione a once over. Hermione looked down at her blue jeans and patterned jumper and shrugged.

"I suppose," she replied. Next thing she knew, Ginny had her by the hand and was dragging her down the hall to her bedroom.

Hermione watched as Ginny rifled through her wardrobe. She pulled out a black satin dress, held it up to Hermione and then curled her lip and tossed it aside. Then she pulled out a dress that Hermione had borrowed from her mother years ago for afternoon tea with a friend. It was perfectly inappropriate for tea with a friend and perfectly appropriate for a date that would be ending as hers would be that night.

Hermione stripped her clothes off and slipped the dress on, ignoring Ginny's comment about 'date knickers,' and eyed herself in the mirror. The dress certainly fit her better now that she was older and able to fill it out more. The coral lace reached a few inches above her knees, nipped in at the waist, and revealed her shoulders without truly revealing them with eyelet lace. She heard a low whistle behind her and spun around.

"Hermione," Harry clapped a hand to his chest dramatically. She hadn't heard him open the door. "You look strangely beautiful."

"Get out," Ginny snapped and slammed the door in his face.

In less than an hour, Ginny had charmed Hermione's hair into more gentle waves and curles, rather than bushy ones. She'd shadowed her eyes with soft browns and golds and painted her lashes with mascara. Deciding to forgo lipstick, Ginny stepped back to admire her handy work.

"I think you're ready. But about your knickers-"

"Shut up about the knickers. The man will be seeing my underwear for the rest of our lives. It doesn't matter what I'm wearing underneath the dress." Ginny looked at her skeptically.

"Hermione, Harry usually doesn't care what my knickers look like either. But every now and then, he likes me to put something special on. It makes us both feel good. It's not just for him, it's for me too." She stopped and went to Hermione's top drawer. Hermione quite thought Ginny was very lucky they were so close.  
"If you sleep with him tonight, it'll be your first time together. Don't you think something a little more special would benefit you both?" Hermione glared at her friend but finally nodded.

"Fine. You've convinced me. What about the black silk? Ron always liked those." She regretted it the moment the said it, especially when Ginny turned to her with a look if disgust.

"First of all, gross. Second of all, no. The black lace and the black lace strapless bra. You should match." Hermione sighed and Ginny left so Hermione could change into her more appropriate foundation garments.

Once the dress was resituated, she slipped on some basic black heels that she hoped like hell she could walk in. With a quick thought, Hermione dug through her sock drawer for a phial of deep purple potion. She hadn't used it since Ron and she had been together, but it had a particularly long shelf like. She slipped it into a black clutch along with extra knickers, and provisions for the morning, all shrunk to fit. She opened the door. Ginny nodded resolutely.

"Yes. You look perfect. Shit! It's five-to-eight. You have to go." Ginny dragged her down to the kitchen, through a group of their bewildered family, and shoved her into the Floo where Hermione spun away in a whirl of green flames.

Severus set the kettle to boil for tea. She would be there any moment. Onions were sautéing on the stove, filling his flat with their scent, and he chopped potatoes and autumn gourds for a curry. He hoped she liked curry. If she didn't, they would go somewhere to eat but it never occurred to him to ask. While he chopped, he contemplated his strange behavior toward her. He didn't think he had ever smiled so much as when he was with her. And to think, only a few days ago, they regarded each other with cold professionalism. Now he was snogging her dizzy and cooking her dinner.

Strange, that.

He threw in some previously chopped peppers, feeling a comfort from the sizzle they made when they hit the pan, and spooned in yellow curry paste. The smell changed from simple onion to something much for complex.

Just like potion-making.

He heard the _whoosh_ of the fireplace, but didn't look up. She would come to him. From the sitting room, he heard a soft "oh!" And then the sound of what he thought might be rather high heels on the hard wood floor. He wrinkled his brow at that. The clicking sound of her shoes grew louder until he saw a body that could have been Hermione Granger but looked much too mature to be Hermione's Granger. He instantly hated that dress and loved it at the same time. He was sure he would love it more flung on floor. _Enough of that._

"Welcome back," he said softly, returning to his chopping.

"I was under the impression that we would be going out! Merlin, that smells delicious." He was suddenly very glad that they weren't going out. He wasn't sure he wouldn't murder every make that looked at her. She leaned over the skillet and inhaled deeply and he wasn't watching how her breasts strained against that dress, for fuck's sake.

"I wasn't aware that this was a formal event," he said gruffly and she turned to him, hurt.

"Oh-you don't like it? I could go back and change if you-"

"Granger. You look fine." She didn't look convinced. The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile and he stood to cross to her. He snagged her by the waist, pulling her flush against him and looked down at her. Her hair was tamer than what he usually saw and she was wearing makeup. She wouldn't look like that by the end of the night.

"I was thinking that I'm glad we're not going out. I can think of more than one man who would likely rape you on spot in that dress." She shoved away from him, rolling her eyes.

"I'm going home to change," she grumbled but he pulled her back into the crook of his arm, using the other to stir the curry in the skillet.

"I like the dress, Granger. Stay and eat, etcetera with me."

"Etcetera?" She chuckled and he nodded firmly, bringing the spoon to her lips for her to taste and eyeing her questioningly.

"Good. It definitely has potential." He smirked.

The gourds and potatoes went into the curry, along with coconut milk, and he turned up the heat so that it could simmer for a while. In the meantime, he poured them each a glass of wine. They leaned against his counter, drinking in silence for a moment.

"I thought you weren't imbibing today?" She asked, mimicking his tone from earlier. He shrugged and sipped at his wine.

"I didn't think I would be, either. But here we are." She smiled at him and chewed her bottom lip. He watched her teeth work at it, watched it swell and turn a lovely shade of pink. He wanted to chew it for her. Before he realized what he was doing, he leaned in and kissed her. He wanted to taste the wine on her lips, like he tasted the champagne on them earlier. She sighed against him and he felt her lips mold to his easily. Like they were meant to be there and he couldn't help but wonder if her body would mold to him just as easily.

Almost as if sensing his thoughts, she put her wine glass down and turned to face him fully. His arms wound around her waist and it was much differently feeling in this dress than in her usual jumper and denims. She was slender and strong beneath his hands, hands he found roaming over the fabric of the dress. It didn't hug her like he'd previously thought. Merlin, no. It caressed her body like it had been made for her and he hoped she kept this dress for the rest of their days together.

His hands found their way to her bum and he groaned when she pulled away from him.

"We still have dinner," she giggled. He hated giggling. Usually. He wanted to hear her giggle again. All in due time. He pressed another chaste kiss to her mouth and went about stirring the curry while she took a deep drink from her wine.

"I would advise against getting drunk tonight," he warned, although his tone was light. She giggled again and dammit he wasn't going to react. "I'm certainly relieved that you're not against the activities." He watched from the corner of his eye as she blushed, and collected herself coolly.

"I'm thinking of it as testing the merchandise," she said with an eyebrow quirked suggestively. He laughed out loud at that while he plated their meals. Carrying both plates, he led her to the dining room and set their meals down on the table. She out both wine glasses down and took the seat at the end, while he took the one next to her.

Hermione marveled at how good a cook he was, and when she voiced her surprise, he looked somewhat offended.

"I _am_ a potions master," he grumbled. "Cooking and brewing are quite similar. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I suppose I'd never thought about it." They ate in silence for a few more minutes before Hermione noticed the hesitant glances Severus was throwing her.

"What?" She asked finally, putting her fork down and giving him her full attention.

"I'm just curious about something," he said, putting his own utensil down. "What happened to your parents? I'd read that you had put a memory charm on them and relocated them. But I've never heard you mention them, and you live with Potter at Headquarters." Hermione stiffened. She thought this conversation might come up, but she didn't know how soon. This was very soon. She took a slow drink from her wine glass, mentally steeling herself and calculating her response.

"After the war," she began slowly, looking down at her plate, " I went to Australia to reverse the spell. It easy was enough, I had read all about it and was confident in my abilities. We got back the country, things were good for a while. A bit uncomfortable. My parents weren't terribly thrilled that I had assaulted their minds and lied to them for seven years." Hermione smiled ruefully, but Severus didn't smile back.  
"We'd been back maybe a month. I'd gone out with Harry and Ginny for drinks to celebrate their marriage. By the time I'd come back-" she stopped for a moment and bit her lip. He was watching her closely.  
"By the time I'd come back, the house had been turned to rubble. There was nothing left. There were barely even bodies."

"Who-?"

"Death Eaters. The Mark was above the mess. The police were there and seemed oblivious to it. They said the stove had leaked and caught fire and caused an explosion."

"Why didn't I hear about any of this?" He was bewildered. Shocked, even. He was sure he would have heard of another Death Eater attack, no matter his alignment. Someone was sure to brag about it.

"You were in hospital, weren't you? Recovering from the snake bite."

"Granger, I-"

"It's fine. You know now. And it's fine. Can we move on?" He nodded curtly and resumed his dinner. She did as well and their silence stretched out longer.

They finished their meals and Severus cleared their plates. He offered her more wine, which she politely declined. It wouldn't do to be drunk that night. And suddenly, she was nervous. She almost wished that they had simply allowed sex to happen as it would, there on the floor at work, rather than planning it.

She felt her cheeks color when he offered her his hand and pulled her to her feet. The way he looked at her made her stomach flip and her breath catch. He watched her from under the curtain of his dark hair and then, with a slow smirk, led her into the bedroom.


	7. Satisfied

**A/N Ok, here you go. Finally.**

 **There's an issue I would like to address amidst complaints against a phrase Severus used in the last chapter. I completely understand the worry over his joke about her dress. I do not, in any aspect, defend victim blaming. My intention was not at all to offend anyone by the remark, but I think what's important to remember is that Severus Snape as a character is not politically correct. He makes comments that may be tactless, and may be offensive. When I'm writing as him, I'm writing _as him_. Not as myself, so I have to think of things that he may say as a character. And in that moment, it seemed like something that he would remark. My deepest apologies to anyone who may have been offended, but I won't change the chapter.**

 **Thank you all for sticking it out this far. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for:**

"Come with me."

He barely shut the door behind them before his hands and lips were on her. They trailed from her lips to her throat and down to her collar bone while his fingers made quick work of the zipper at the back of her dress. He was moving quickly and Hermione needed him to slow down. She brought his mouth back to hers, kissing him slowly, but he continued to increase his urgency.

"Severus," she murmured and he stopped. She'd never used his given name before and he'd never paid any mind to the former title she continued to address him as. He looked down at her, her lips swollen, cheeks rosy. Severus had to remind himself again that she was no longer his student, but a woman and she would be his wife in less than a week. But he still couldn't explain the strangeness he'd felt toward her since before their engagement. "Go slow." She kissed him gently, and then her fingers began to work at the buttons at the neck of his robes. His hands fell to his sides as he watched her fingers, small but strong, unbutton one by one until the front of his robes hung open and she moved to the buttons of his white shirt. Slowly, carefully, excruciatingly, she undid each button one by one and then pushed the shirt and robes off his shoulders where they pooled on the floor.

She leaned back to look at him. While his chest and torso were well toned, he was scarred. Some deep, some smaller, but he was crossed with them and she couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped her lips. He tensed and almost pulled away from her, almost turned in on himself and had half a mind to cancel their evening. But then she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest. She dragged her lips down his stomach, feeling the muscles tense and release beneath his skin, and moved her way back up to his throat, his jaw, and his lips again. One of his hands wound in her hair and the other dragged her dress off of her shoulders. It, too, fell to the ground, pooling around her feet.

 _Merlin._ When she blushed, he'd realized he'd spoken aloud. She was nervous. He could tell by the way she stood in front of him, worrying her lip. How had he missed her growing up? How had he missed her becoming a woman? He looked down at her matching knickers and realized with a slow smirk that she was a very careful planner.

"Lie down," he murmured, turning her to the bed. She fell back against it. Her hair floated around her, appearing bigger than she was on the bed. Slowly, he climbed over her, spreading her legs on either side of him, dragging his lips and his tongue up her stomach, over her sternum, skipping her bra, and up to her collarbone. She shuddered beneath him, but her hands tangled in his hair. His erection strained uncomfortably against his trousers, and he rolled to her side to remove them. Her thumbs hooked around the edges of her knickers and she began pulling them down as well, but he stopped her with a hand on hers.

"Let me," And when he was free of his trousers, he rolled back to her and placed his hand on the flat of her stomach. Slowly, his hand inched down, below the edge of her panties, until he could feel the crop of tight curls beneath the fabric. She gasped but encouraged him with a nod and he ventured lower until his fingers found moisture. He felt himself grow harder when she spread her legs further for him. His thumb found the tight nub of nerves while his middle finger ventured inside, pulling another gasp from her throat. His thumb moved in small circular motions, while his finger moved in and out of her slickness. To his satisfaction, she continued to gasp and groan. Her back arched and when her breathing began to quicken further, he removed his hand and she pouted. He almost laughed. She actually pouted. He kissed her pout and rolled her so he could unclasp her bra. She rolled back and peeled it from her body, allowing him a full view of her breasts.

The way he watched her made her nervous. It was almost as if he had been celibate for two years, and not her, how hungry his gaze was. She had a brief thought that Ginny and Ron may have been right, that Severus did have feelings for her. She put her hands on his chest and pushed him onto his back, straddling his hips when his head hit the mattress. Instead, he sat up with her, cupping her breasts in his hands and nibbling her throat. She pressed against his cock and he ground against her with a moan.

He couldn't take it anymore. He pulled away from her, looked into her eyes, and reached between them to shove the fabric of her knickers to the side. And then he was at her entrance. He could feel her wetness on his tip. He was careful with his next movement, reminding himself that it had been two years for her, but before he could actually move, she shifted her hips with a gasp and sank onto him. He held his breath and with another twitch of his hips, he was sheathed to the hilt, her spongy interior twitching around him in an effort to adjust. He was larger than she'd anticipated.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They watched each other, breathing hard, holding onto one another, until Hermione made the first move. Her hips rocked against his, slipping him out of her part of the way, and then back in. They picked up a rhythm, both of them rocking against each other, their breathing picking up until both of them were gasping for air. Severus shifted them so that she was beneath him again, still connected, and lifted her knees on either side of his hips, pressed her hips into the mattress. He was losing their rhythm, thrusting with wonton abandon and soon she was trembling and contracting around him, her gasps turning into loud moans. Watching her was his undoing. With a guttural grunt, he felt himself throb and spill everything he had inside of her.

Once he felt her muscles stopped spasming, and they both could breathe again, he fell to the side and pulled her against his chest, yanking the blankets over both of them.

"Thank you for dinner," she murmured against his skin. He chuckled and almost responded sarcastically, but she was already asleep.

-v-

Sunlight spilled through the window of his bedroom. Severus woke somewhat disoriented and confused about the weight pinning him to the bed. He looked down, his cheek brushed against a head of tangled curls, and he felt a smile creep across his lips. The memories of the night before flooded back to him and he felt himself grow hard again when he remembered their bodies connected and pressed together. But he didn't know what time it was and with their track record the last couple of mornings, they could be late to work already. He craned his neck and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. It was 7:30. They had an hour and a half before they had to open the store. Unfortunately for them, they still had to shower and eat before that. He ran his fingertips down her side and she woke with a hard intake of breath, opening her eyes to glare at him.

"That is not a pleasant way to wake up," she said accusingly. He smirked and ran his palm down her hip, yanking her leg up across his. She glared at him harder and squeaked in surprise when he shifted to hover on top of her, pressing his lower body to hers again.

"We don't have time to do this again," he said, despite his actions, "but believe me. If we did, we would be." His hand formed a cup around her right breast and she laughed.

"Sex is quite becoming for you, do you know?" He smirked and climbed off of her. They both swung their legs over the side of the bed.

"Grab your clothes, we need to shower. Did you bring extras?" She nodded and padded over to her black clutch where everything was shrunk to fit. She dug through, pulling out her clothes. With them, a small phial filled with deep purple potion fell out and clinked to the floor. She knelt down and picked it up with a groan. She heard Severus' movement stop behind her as she stood up. "Is that what I think it is?" He asked, his voice hard. She nodded, turning to face him, her expression stricken.

"I forgot to take it last night. It's been more than three hours. It's too late now." He crossed to her, holding his clothes and two towels over his arm, and took the phial from her. He frowned at it, and placed it on his dresser. He handed her a towel, and led her to the bathroom. Without saying a word to her, he turned on the water and stepped in, motioning for her to join him. She carefully stripped off her knickers, placed her clean clothes by the sink, and stepped in with him.

"Are you going to say anything?" She asked, crossing her arms over her breasts.

"What would you like me to say?" He asked, his tone calculating. He shampooed and rinsed his hair and then switched spots with his so she could do the same.

"I don't know. Tell me I'm irresponsible? Call me stupid? Insufferable? Something?" He furrowed his brows at her while he lathered up his body.

"I think an important aspect that you're forgetting is that in less than a week we will be married and before the ink is dried on the parchment, we will be expected to start trying to have a child. I think a bout of unprotected sex a few days before a marriage intended specifically for unprotected sex is not a travesty." She cringed, but nodded and they switched spots again so that he could rinse and she could scrub her face and body.

"I suppose you're right. I'm just concerned—I mean—I was hoping I wouldn't get pregnant so early on, and-"

"Do you know that you're pregnant now?" He asked, switching with her one more time.

"Well—no."

"Then why are you talking as if you are?" She scowled and turned the water off while he stepped out. He handed her a towel, and she wrapped it around her body. She stepped out, and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Stop worrying. Things are moving quickly, and we don't have much control over what happens from here. We can only hope we don't end up completely miserable in the process." She smiled at that and nodded and he stepped away from her so they could both dry and dress. She dug her toothbrush out of her bag and brushed her teeth next to him.

After a quick breakfast of toast and porridge, they made their way downstairs to open the shop. She counted her drawer, noting that it was two knuts over but not worrying about it. She wouldn't be worrying about anything today. Severus flipped signs and lit candles while Hermione made her morning notes.

"What's the date?" She asked offhandedly.

"October the thirtieth," he mumbled.

"Oh!" She said, and he looked up, amused. "Tomorrow's Halloween!"

"Indeed, it is," he responded.

"Will you be dressing up tomorrow?"

"Have I dressed up the past two years?" She giggled.

"No, I suppose not. Frannie and I will be dressing up."

"And what do you intend to dress up as?" He asked warily, thinking back on last year's Flesh Eating Slug costume.

"I'm going to be a Hollywood Witch." He must have looked particularly obtuse because she laughed. "Witches in muggle movies who wear ridiculous, sometimes scandalous robes and outrageous makeup and large pointed hats." He gave her a disapproving look, but at least she wasn't going to be a slug again.

Once the store was open, he disappeared into his lab. Another thing she wouldn't worry about because that was his normal behavior. Until three o'clock, she was alone aside from whichever customers decided to brave the cold. So, for the morning, she decided that sorting through invoices and paperwork would be a good time consumer. She'd made it an hour in before the door jingled, notifying her of a visitor. She looked up to a head of bright red hair.

"Good morning!" Ginny sang, passing a takeout latte across the counter. Hermione cupped it in her hands gratefully.

"Morning," Hermione said with a smile. "You've come to interrogate me about my night, haven't you?" Ginny bobbed her head with a grin.

"So, did you-?"

"Shh!" Hermione hissed. "Yes, we did. Not that it's really your business. But yes."

"Was it good?" Hermione laughed, and nodded.

"Yes. It was very good."

"And everything went well?" Hermione shrugged and scrunched her face before nodding.

"Yes, everything went fairly well." Ginny raised her eyebrows, prompting an explanation. "I forgot to take my contraceptive potion, Ginny. I feel like such a berk." She knew she couldn't go the day without worrying about it. She thought, however, that she might be able to go at least an hour. Apparently not.

"Was he upset?" Ginny asked in a low voice. Hermione shook her head.

"No, he wasn't bothered at all. He brought up the point that in a few days, the point of our marriage will be to have sex without potions."

"It is a good point." Ginny agreed. "I wouldn't worry too much, Hermione. You had a great time last night, and you're marrying the man for goodness' sake."

"How very kind of you to point out," a deep voice drawled. Hermione startled and spun to where he stood quite close to her by the register.

"How much of that did you hear?" She squeaked.

"Probably almost all of it. I ran out of ingredients for a potion, needed to restock." He raised an eyebrow at her and crossed to his personal store cupboard. "I'm sure this conversation was about to get quite touching, but if you could not discuss our sex life with people, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Ginny's not just people. She's Ginny." Hermione said indignantly.

"Actually, I should get going. I told Harry I'd pick up takeout, he's probably wondering where I've gone to." She leaned across the counter to kiss Hermione's cheek. When the door had shut behind her, Severus came to stand where Ginny had.

"Care to explain?"

"Explain my talking to a friend about my life?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's not just your life. You're talking to a friend about _our_ sex life in _my_ store where anyone could walk in and hear. You're the manager of _my_ store, so I expect you to know better. If you feel like you must discuss our private life with your friends, do it on your time, in your home. Do I make myself plain?" Hermione nodded quickly, turning away from him and feigning interest in some paperwork to mask that her eyes were flooding with tears.

"Granger," She turned her face just slightly to glance over her shoulder. He moved behind the counter, took her by the shoulders, and turned her to face him, disappointed in himself when he saw a trail of tears down her cheek. He sighed and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb. She still refused to look him in the eye. "Let's try to keep our personal lives away from work. That's all I'm saying. Alright?" She nodded and shrugged.

"Fine. But if you speak to me like that again, as my boss or my husband, I won't just stand here and listen to it. Do I my _myself_ plain?" He nodded, eyebrows raised.

"Perfectly," he said, and pressed dry lips to her forehead before collecting his ingredients and disappearing back into his office.


	8. Slighted

**A/N A huge thank you to my lovely friend and Beta Avocadosss! She's also writing a wonderful story called The Thin Ice, and I highly recommend checking it out. u/9654549/**

 **This chapter is a little bit shorter, and I apologize for that. I hope you enjoy it regardless!**

 **xxLisa**

"Fuck!" Hermione winced when her shoulder locked up and she had to stretch it and lower it slowly from the shelf she was dusting.

"Granger…" Severus' tone held warning. He counted money from the register to a bill and watched her from behind his hair.

"Oh, god dammit," she massaged the offending joint and walked back to the counter, tossing the feather duster back on its own shelf.

"You've been neglecting your potions," Severus said without looking up from the money he was counting.

"The last few days have been good and I haven't needed them," she explained warily. He shot her a look out of the corner of his eye.

"Perhaps you ought to treat them like preventative medications," he suggested gruffly. Hermione shook her head, a conflicted expression on her face.

"With the risk of dependency-"

"I have personally evaluated your risk, as is my job, and unless you start using recreationally, your risk is incredibly low. Just take the damn potions." He closed the register and turned to face her where she leaned against the counter. He looked down at her, tired, and in obvious pain. Her hair was wild around her face and shoulders and she was pale. She wasn't sleeping again and he had a hard time hiding his annoyance with her. He dropped the money in his robes and spun away from her to enter his lab briefly. When he returned, he was holding a phial of her pain potion. He unstoppered it and handed it over and she downed it in one shot, sighing gratefully.

"It is imperative that you remember to take these potions, Granger. I'll be adding a muscle relaxer to your mix, as well to be taken in the evenings. This means you'll have to limit your alcohol intake." She scowled, but nodded.

He watched her again. Really watched her. The way she sorted through a few papers and filed them, checking twice that they were in the correct order. The way she lifted a hand to fight with the mass of hair that threatened to consume her, and how she winced in pain when the movement aggravated her shoulder. The way her brow furrowed and she chewed her lip when she was concentrating on an invoice or a catalog. He thought for the first time that this broken, perfectionist of a woman was beautiful and he fought the incredible urge to kiss her until they were both gasping for air. But they had agreed to keep their personal lives separate from their work lives, and instead he turned away from her to fetch an envelope and the invoice for the bill that needed paying.

-V-

Hermione woke on Halloween, wincing despite her use of the pain potion and muscle relaxer the previous night. She'd slept in her own bed that night, feeling somewhat surprised with herself when she reached over to touch Severus and he wasn't there. They'd only spent two nights together. She sat up slowly, trying her best to ignore the throbbing in her joints, and failing miserably. She stood and crossed to her dresser where sat her new stock of pain potions and took one, groaning in relief as the liquid worked its way through her aching tendons and bursae.

After a quick shower, she cast a drying spell on her hair, and recruited Ginny to help her charm it straight. She simply could not master the more feminine beauty spells, much to her annoyance. Once her hair was bone straight (for the moment, it wouldn't stay that way,) Ginny insisted on doing her makeup. Hermione looked in the mirror and startled at her appearance; dark shadows circled her eyes and flicked out into a dramatic, sultry wing. Her brows had been filled and defined, and her cheekbones chiseled. Her lips were painted a deep greyish-purple color that was strangely flattering on her skin. It was perfect for Halloween.

Hermione pulled on her black and purple striped socks, and the ridiculous polyester frock she'd found in muggle London. It trailed to the floor, but revealed the tights with a deep slit. The robes themselves were black, but the bodice was adorned with a purple faux-corset. It was completely out of character for her. But that's what Halloween is all about, isn't it? She buckled her black Mary Jane chunky heels (after casting a cushioning spell on the soles) and affixed an obnoxious black conical witch's hat to the top of her head. With a glance in the mirror, she grinned with satisfaction and headed off to the Floo.

Severus was sure it was going to be a strange day. Halloween always brought out the weirdest of the community, and he had been on the floor all morning helping Frannie, who had dressed that year as a garden gnome. He'd had several owls requesting potions that he'd rarely heard about and required ingredients that bordered illegal. Frannie had been propositioned by one man who had to be older than Albus Dumbledore had been. All in all, he wasn't thrilled about Halloween.

"Hello!" Severus turned from where he stood at the register to find his fiancee in an outfit that bordered inappropriate. She looked absolutely ridiculous. He wanted to fuck her. She moved around the store, helping customers, straightening shelves, taunting him in that ridiculous Hollywood Witch costume.

"Are you ok?" Severus was shaken out of his thoughts when Frannie rested a hand on his arm. "You look really angry, are you alright?" He turned to her, and nodded, attempting to rearrange his expression into a mask of indifference. He must have succeeded, because Frannie smiled at him and headed toward the back room. "I'm off! See you tomorrow! Get some sleep!" She winked at him, and he looked at her, confused. He turned to help a customer who had an armful of hangover potions. Obviously they had a busy night planned.

And then it hit him. It was Saturday. He was getting married tomorrow. That was why Frannie had winked at him. He cringed. He'd gotten so caught up in getting to know the woman he was marrying, he forgot about his wedding day. He wrapped and bagged the customer's potions, and they left the store.

Hermione switched spots with Severus, ignoring the glances he shot her, and stood behind the register. Her knee needed a break and standing there made it easier to keep weight off of it. A man with light brunette hair, tall, but not as tall as Severus, brought several potions to the counter. She tried not to imagine the night he had planned with muscle relaxers, sex enhancers, and sleeping potions. She narrowed her eyes at his collection, but rang them up and wrapped them. His eyes were on her. She could feel it. Glancing up, quickly, she had just enough time to jump back when he made a swipe at her.

"Pretty little thing, aren't you? I'd love for you to come to my party tonight. Party for two, of course." She glared at him and it took everything in her not to whip her wand out and hex him on the spot. He was making his way around the counter toward her, and she didn't have enough room to back up. He made another grab for her, but his arm was suddenly wrenched out of the air near her and he was flung against the wall behind the counter. Hermione gasped, her hand flying to her throat. Severus held the man by the neck, crushing him to the wall.

"If you ever touch a woman again, I will find you, and I will rip you limb-from-limb. Do you understand me?" The man nodded quickly, gasping for air, his fingers raking at Severus'. He released him quickly, shoving the man toward the door. "Get the fuck out of here." He left his potions and bolted for the door. Severus turned to look at Hermione, who was still clutching at her breast and breathing hard. She was visibly shaken.

"Go upstairs," he told her sternly. "Go upstairs, make a cup of tea, have a drink, calm down. I'll be up shortly."

"Shouldn't we call the Aurors?" She gasped. "Look at the potions he was buying, he was planning something. If not with me, then with another poor woman."

"I'll take care of it. Go upstairs. Now." She bit her lip and nodded, limping toward the door to his flat and shutting it behind her.

Severus helped the few customers whom he hadn't frightened away with his production, and promptly locked the door. Closing an hour early was the least of his worries at this point. He flipped the signs and extinguished the lights and took the stairs to his flat two at a time.

Hermione was standing by the lit hearth, a cup of firewhiskey cradled in her hands. If she'd heard him enter, she didn't show any sign. She sipped her drink slowly. Her hat had been removed and rested on the coffee table. He moved to stand behind her, taking the drink from her hands to place on the shelf above the fireplace and turning her to face him with his hands on her shoulders. She hadn't cried, but she looked as though she wanted to. He wasn't sure what to say to her. He wouldn't ask her if she was alright; it was obvious that she wasn't. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She sniffled loudly.

"Do you wish to discuss what happened?" She shook her head hard against his chest.

"No. Truly, I don't. It was horrifying." He took her at arm's length and studied her face. It was blotchy, pink, and the eye makeup she'd worn had gone patchy and uneven. Her lipstick hadn't budged. "I should go home," he nodded carefully and released her.

"We have a rather busy day tomorrow, haven't we?" She smiled and nodded in return. She made a quick trip to his bedroom to grab the bags with her wedding clothes and met him back by the now extinguished hearth. He surprised her by hugging her one more time and placing a chaste kiss on her lips before she disappeared in a flare of green flames.

She'd barely made it back out of the Floo before her legs gave out from under her and she collapsed onto the kitchen floor in tears.


	9. Married

**A/N: A thank you to my best mate, Avocadosss for betaing this story for me. Once again, check out her story. If you don't, I'll keep talking about it, and I'll never shut up, and you'll regret it. So go read it. It's called The Thin Ice and it's brilliant.**

 **From this chapter and in future ones, as well, I need to add trigger warnings. Sexual assault references and descriptions, as well as self harm will be written about. Just a warning, in case you're not comfortable with these themes. I understand. Love you all.**

 **xxLisa**

"What is this?" Hermione eyed the shot, twisting the glass in her fingers.

"Tequila. Drink it." Ginny downed hers with a hiss, ignoring the bowl of lime wedges between them.

"Why?" Hermione had never had tequila before, and honestly wasn't keen on trying it.

"One: because you obviously need it. I'm not ignoring the fact that I found you on the fucking floor crying your eyes out and you won't tell me why. Two: You're getting married tomorrow. Yeah? You're supposed to get drunk and mourn the loss of your independence before you get married, right?" Ginny winked and downed the next shot the barkeep slid toward her. Hermione sniffed hers cautiously.

"Oh, boy, that smells rank," she said, putting the shot back down.

"Just drink it, will you?"

"Uh, no. Bourbon, please?" The barkeep nodded to her and poured the shot. Hermione threw it back and raised her hand for another. Ginny took her shot of tequila.

"So, what happened today?" She asked, accepting the glass of water the tender gave her.

"No. Ginny, I told you I don't want to talk about it," Hermione snapped.

"Did, Snape do something?"

"No! Oh, my god. Fine. I was attacked at work today. A man came in, bought a bunch of potions obviously meant for a date rape, and decided I was his intended. He came behind the counter and grabbed for me, and if Severus hadn't intervened, he probably would have done more. That-That is what happened today." Hermione asked for a larger glass, straight bourbon, and tossed it back in two gulps. She'd never been a big drinker. The occasional glass of wine, but it seemed that lately stressors were making her want to drink more. It was becoming more and more obvious to her how much danger she was in. Lucius' threat, and the mail Severus said he'd received, and she was concerned that the man today hadn't been a coincidence.

"Hermione?" She looked up at Ginny who was watching her with concern. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry, Gin. I was in my head. What did you say?"

"I asked what Snape did," Ginny sipped her water.

"Oh, erm-he sort of choked the guy out and threatened him and the guy ran."

"Wow," Ginny said, raising her eyebrows. "I bet that was a turn on."

"I didn't really have time to notice," Hermione grumbled, sipping on another glass of bourbon. "Ginny, listen, I really don't think I'm up for this tonight." Ginny nodded.

"Just finish your drink, and we'll go. It probably isn't a good idea for you to be hungover at your wedding, anyway." Hermione laughed and finished her bourbon in one more swig, hissing as the alcohol burned her throat.

-V-

In a flat across town, Severus sat with a Potions article and a half-full decanter of Firewhiskey. He couldn't focus on the article, despite its topic of pain management in people affected by the Cruciatus curse. It was fitting and beneficial to Hermione and him, but he couldn't focus. He couldn't keep his mind from wandering to her face when she stood in front of his fireplace. The woman was strong, he had no doubt about that. She'd fought in a war since she was eleven years old. She'd made decisions that no one at such a young age should ever have to make. She was a veteran by the time she was a teenager. He'd never seen her affected by the war the way she was affected by the man in his shop.

There was a flare at the fireplace, and he extinguished the flames with a sigh, opening the Floo with a wave of his hand. The person who stepped through was not who he expected.

"Lucius," Severus greeted. "To what do I owe the-ah-pleasure?" Lucius helped himself to a glass of firewhiskey and sat on the couch next to Severus.

"I heard about your little spat today," Lucius said conversationally.

"Of course you did," Severus mumbled into his glass. "Who was your snitch?" Lucius chuckled.

"You can't nearly kill a man and not expect word to get around, Severus. There were several people talking. I daresay, you've gained some admirers of the female sort, protecting the Granger girl like that." Severus chuckled in return.

"I wasn't about to allow him to molest my fiancee," he said.

"How...honorable...of you," Lucius drawled. "Severus, I can't stress enough the eyes on you. You're being watched, and if today was any indicator, not only by the few people I know of. That girl played a huge part in the war and ruined a lot of lives. There is a lot of interest in her."

"She never took a life, and you're telling me _she_ ruined lives? What about _us_? Huh? I've _killed_ people. I killed Albus fucking Dumbledore, Lucius. And what about you? How many people did you kill? Better yet, how many did you torture? How many children did we traumatize because of bigotry?" Severus had leapt from where he sat next to Lucius to thunder in front of him. "Granger's scarred for the rest of her life. She will live in pain for the rest of her life because of your sociopath sister-in-law. How many others like her?"

"Severus, I'm only trying to warn you. I regret everything that happened. I do. Not everyone involved does, though. In fact, most of them don't. I'm just saying-keep an eye out." Lucius stood, finished his drink, and left through the Floo, leaving Severus to seethe over his words.

-V-

Hermione was shaken awake from a rather pleasant dream and rolled over to stare up at Molly Weasley, who was smiling kindly down at her.

"Time to get up, darling. It's 8:00. We've got breakfast ready, and then we have to get you ready for your big day. And I don't want you lifting a finger today, young lady." Hermione couldn't help but smile back up at her. She'd never shown Molly Weasley the gratitude that she was owed. After Hermione's parents had passed, the woman had taken her in as her own and provided for her. Without a thought, she sat up and threw her arms around the witch's neck.

"Thank you, Molly," she said sincerely. Molly patted her hair.

"Let's get you fed, and then in the shower."

Hermione ate what she could of her Fry Up, nervous that if she ate too much, her robes may not fit. When she was sufficiently full, and had convinced Molly of the fact, she turned to Arthur and placed a hand on his arm.

"Arthur, I don't mean to make this awkward, but I'm afraid I might. Especially since I'm due at the altar in five hours," He smiled warmly at that and watched her with question. "But I wanted to ask you, and I'm sorry it took me so long, but would you-that is to say-I would be honored if you would...erm...give me away." Tears sprang to Arthur's eyes right away, and Molly sobbed next to the cooker. She saw Ginny, and Harry grin next to her while Ron glared into his pumpkin juice.

"Oh, my love. I would be over the moon," he turned to her and took her hand in his, kissing the top of it, and then pulled her into such a tight hug that she feared her ribs might crack. She gasped when he released.

"Alright! Upstairs, in the shower!" Hermione grinned at Molly and she and Ginny bolted up the stairs.

After Hermione had scrubbed and washed and felt fresh, but no less nervous, she met Ginny in her bedroom. Ginny charmed her hair dry and wound Hermione's curls into a simple, yet elegant, thick braid that trailed over her right shoulder. Her fringe was left out to frame her face. The style took minutes. Hermione was impressed. Ginny told her that since it was a daytime wedding, her makeup would be simple. Besides, she said, they didn't want to take attention away from her robes. So blusher, mascara, and a light lip color were applied sparingly. Hermione looked in the mirror, more than pleased with her appearance. She even looked younger somehow.

"Have you heard from Snape today?" Ginny asked, catching her off guard. Hermione shook her head.

"No, I expect he's getting ready."

"I just wondered if you had spoken to him any more about what happened yesterday."

"No. And I don't intend to. For Merlin's sake, Ginny, can we not talk about that today? Please?" Ginny nodded with a shrug, tugging at a couple of curls to get them to lie where she wanted.

"Have you told him about-"

"Ginny. I'm not telling him about that." Hermione grumbled, crossing her arms against her stomach.

"You don't think he should know that you've been assaulted in the past?" Ginny asked skeptically.

"It's in the past, as you said. It doesn't have anything to do with this." Ginny looked as though she disagreed a lot more than a little, but kept her mouth shut and helped Hermione into her robes.

Once Ginny was settled into her attire, and her hair and makeup were done, the two met the rest of the family by the door. Molly was clad in tasteful, deep green tartan robes that complimented Hermione's and Ginny's robes nicely. Harry and Arthur wore grey dress robes. Arthur's looked new, and Hermione was sure that Harry had purchased them for him.

"Do we look alright as Parents of the Bride?" Arthur asked, and Hermione felt her eyes brim with tears, suddenly thankful for the invention of waterproof mascara. She nodded enthusiastically.

"You both look wonderful," she said, blinking back tears.

"Hermione?" She looked behind her, and saw Ron in robes matching Harry's and Arthur's. "Can we talk a moment? I know there isn't much time, but I need to. Please." Hermione nodded carefully and followed him into the sitting room.

"I'm glad to see you dressed up," Hermione said with a smile when she closed the door behind them. He nodded and offered her a solemn smile.

"Hermione, before I agree to go to your wedding, I need to know something." She watched him cautiously. "Did you ever love me?"

"Ron, I really don't want-"

"Please. Just tell me." She took a deep breath and released it noisily.

"Yes," she said, raising her arms slightly and letting them fall back to her sides. "Yes, I did. Ron, we were so unhappy. Don't you remember? We fought constantly." He nodded.

"Yes, I remember. I also remember how happy we were the first year. I suppose I tend to dwell on that, rather than remember how toxic it got." She nodded and looked down at her hands, clasped in front of her. "Hermione, I owe you an apology." He crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. She froze for a moment, letting it settle in that this wasn't an embrace from a jealous ex, but from a friend who truly cared for her, and then wrapped her arms around his middle. "Tell me one more thing," he said into her hair and he felt her nod against him.

"Ok."

"Are you sure about this?" He pulled away and held her at arm's length. She nodded again.

"Yes. It's my best option. And his. I'm sure."

"That's good enough for me then, I suppose." They both smiled, and then laughed with each other, and he lead her back to their family with a friendly arm around her shoulders.

-V-

Severus waited in the courtroom, checking his watch every few moments. He'd been nearly late, and now Hermione was late which was completely unlike her. He was getting concerned. Just as he turned to the officiate to ask how long they should wait, he was sure she wasn't coming, the doors swung open and Ginny Weasley made her way between the wooden benches. He met her in the middle.

"I'm so sorry we're late, Professor! It'll be just one more moment, and we'll be ready." He nodded, trying to hide his relief, and resumed his position near the front. The doors shut behind Ginny, and not five minutes later, they opened for her again. There was nothing formal about the way she walked toward him, and stood opposite him a fair distance away. She smiled encouragingly, and he returned it with a little less enthusiasm.

A moment later, he saw her. She looked effortlessly lovely, and her family looked distinguished in somber grey robes that complimented theirs nicely. But he focused on her, striding toward him on Arthur's arm. Potter and Ronald Weasley sat before them. When Hermione and Arthur stood before him, Arthur kissed her on the cheek, nodded to Severus, and went to sit next to his wife. They were then joined by the twins, who grinned at Hermione. Hermione smiled at her fiance, and he noticed that she was just as nervous as he was.

"Welcome!" The officiant spread his arms in welcome, smiling at all of them. "This will be a short ceremony, so if you will, please join your right hands," Severus and Hermione clasped their hands together. "This cord represents the marital bond. It is strong enough to hold you together during times of struggle yet flexible enough to allow for individuality and personal growth. As your hands are now bound together, so shall your lives be bound as one. May you enjoy a lifetime of love and peace, happiness and prosperity." Severus' gaze snapped to the old man, who held a woven cord and was beginning to wrap their hands in it. What was the ministry thinking, involving love in the binding? Not only were the meddling in people's futures, but they were also meddling in emotions? Forcing love was incredibly dangerous, surely they knew that. Before he could speak up, the officiant continued. Severus looked to Hermione, he looked just as alarmed as he was.

"These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness." The cord was wrapped once around their wrists.

"These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy." It was wrapped a second time.

"These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind." He looped it a third time.

"These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

And these are the hands that will give you support and encourage you to chase your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized." He tied the cord in a tight knot around their wrists and with a tap of his wand on their skin, the cord was joined by golden strings of light, and Severus had the urge to snatch his hand back.

"Your left hands, please," Severus and Hermione offered them without realizing, as though their will had been removed. Hermione looked more than alarmed at this point. "These rings, offered by the ministry, are charmed to monitor the progress of your marriage." On their fingers, he placed two plain gold bands that were too big at first but then moulded to their fingers, stinging slightly as they did so. They both hissed and pulled their hands back.

"Severus Snape, you may kiss your bride," Hermione saw Severus' eye twitch only slightly before he pulled her close to him and crushed her lips with his. It was a bruising kiss, one that seared with the magic of their wedding bond, and when he pulled away, his lips were as swollen as hers felt.

-V-

After the papers were signed and dried, they met at The Leaky Cauldron, much to Severus' disgust. He supposed the pea soup wasn't so bad if one ate it quickly enough. They sat at one long table, Severus and Hermione between Arthur and Molly on one side, and the rest of them on the other. When the waiter came around, they all seemed to know what they wanted except Severus, so he ordered the same bangers and mash with a pint that Hermione did.

"How was your last night as a bachelor?" Fred-he thought it was Fred-asked. Severus gulped at his beer before turning to the twins.

"It was interesting," he said slowly, glancing at his new wife. She quirked half a smile but watched him curiously.

"Strippers, booze, and the whole deal?" George-or maybe Fred-asked with a laugh. Severus chuckled.

"I'm not entirely sure what Lucius is up to these days but I highly doubt he has taken up stripping." Hermione blanched visibly next to him.

"Why was Lucius with you?" she asked, pushing away the plate of food that was placed in front of her to focus on him. He cringed.

"Perhaps we should discuss this later," he tried to sound gentle but feared he bordered on gruff. She laughed dryly.

"No, we can discuss it now. Tell me, dear husband, why Lucius Malfoy was with you last night after the threats he made?" Voices rose around the table, Harry's being the loudest.

"He threatened you?" Harry nearly shouted. Hermione glared at him, and he seethed silently in his seat.

"He came to warn me-No, Granger, listen to me," he snapped when she showed every sign of interrupting. "I offered for you knowing full well that there are still Death Eaters that wish you harm. I knew I would need to protect you. Lucius thinks that perhaps there may be more happening-that someone may be trying to revive what the Dark Lord had begun." He paused, eyeing her cautiously. "He thinks you may be in much more danger than we'd originally thought." She took a loud breath and looked very near to tears. He pushed her pint into her trembling hand and she took a drink, allowing herself a moment to compose herself.

"So-what do we do?" she asked. The corner of his mouth lifted in the smallest of smiles.

"I don't have the answer to that yet, but I will." She nibbled her lip and nodded. The rest of their meal was had in worried silence until their dishes were cleared, and the bill paid. They kissed cheeks and said their goodbyes, and then Severus pulled Hermione so close to him she felt she might burst and they apparated away.


	10. Norway

**A special thanks, again, to my Beta Thanatoslives for not allowing me to stop this chapter in the awkward place I had planned to.**

Hermione stripped her wedding robes off, while Severus left his on and sat on the sofa before the fire. She summoned her pajamas from her bag and slipped the silken nightshirt over her head. He watched her the whole time, and she wasn't sure if it was because she was undressing, or if he was waiting for her to truly react to what he'd told her at The Leaky. He lifted a hand and coaxed her to him, taking her cool fingertips in his and pulling her down to him to sit in his lap. Hermione blushed, but rested her arm around his shoulder. He watched her face closely, brows furrowed, and allowed his hand to slip up her thigh, beneath the nightshirt. She gasped and blushed further. Continuing to watch her, he lifted the shirt over head completely and she was left in only her knickers and socks. She reached to cover her chest with both arms but he shook his head and took both of her small wrists in one of his larger hands.

"Don't hide from me," he said softly. He leaned in to kiss her, and they retired to his-their-bedroom.

-v-

"Tell me something," Severus said, lying on his side facing her with a hand tangled in her hair. They still lay naked, barely covered by the sheets in his bad. The look she shot him was one of apprehension and he chuckled at her. "What happened to you that you reacted in such a way to that man yesterday?" She sucked in a loud breath and shook her head, lowering her face away from his gaze.

"I really don't want to talk about it," she grumbled. His hand in her hair tightened against her scalp, pulling her face back up toward his.

"You don't think I should know?"

"That's not what I said, I-"

"Tell me what happened to you." His voice was a soft command, but a command nonetheless. She groaned. She didn't want him to know. She wanted to erase the memory entirely, but she fixed him with a hard glare and resolved to tell him.

"I was raped, Severus," she said and watched as his eyes widened and then grew hard and angry.

"By whom?" His voice startled her, hard and demanding.

"Viktor Krum."

"Did you visit him on holiday?" She shook her head.

"No, I never saw him again after the Yule Ball." A hard knot of understanding settled in Severus' stomach.

"He raped you at the Yule Ball?" He could have yelled. Every professor in the school had been there to ensure student safety, and somehow every one of them had failed her that night. She nodded. "How-What-How did it happen?"

"You really want to know?" she asked, frowning. When he nodded, she sighed deeply and gave herself a moment to gather the memories.

"When everyone was starting to head back to their dorms, Harry, Ron, and I had a bit of a spat. Ron was upset that Viktor was my date. We argued about it, and I got really upset. Alright-I cried. A lot. Viktor came to see what had happened, and invited me back to the Durmstrang ship to 'talk.' When we got there, he offered me a drink and apparently he'd slipped something into it, because I sort of lost control of my muscles. I couldn't move, but I was conscious and aware of everything that happened." Severus was growing angrier by the second. He had released his fingers from her hair and was clenching and unclenching his hands. She continued hesitantly, "I don't remember how I made it back to my dorm room, but I did. The other girls assumed I was drunk and teased me for it the next morning. Ginny was the only one who noticed that something was wrong. She's still the only one, other than you now, who knows." She rolled onto her back, trying to conceal the moisture that had gathered in the corners of her eyes. Severus frowned and turned her face back to look at his, disturbed by the stricken expression on her face. Eight years later, she was still haunted by this. He was suddenly filled with self loathing. He'd spent eight years risking his life to protect her and her friends from Death Eaters, and he'd never once given a thought to the dangers their allies were capable of. Heaven help teenaged boys discovering the more primal urges.

"I should have known better than to go with him. There was no one else there, and he had already pressured me so many times. I should have-"

"Stop that. Right now. Don't you dare blame yourself." Hermione pressed her lips together and nodded curtly. He tugged at her arm until she scooted into him, pressed against his side with her head on his chest. "I'm sorry we didn't protect you," he murmured and pressed his lips to the top of her head.

-v-

Hermione dosed herself with a heavy amount of Dreamless Sleep, leaving Severus awake all night to think and wish he'd taken the potion as well. He thought about Hermione as a child, how annoying a little swot she was. Merlin, did she aggravate him to no end. After the first week of classes, he would have been more than happy to never see her or her ridiculous waving hand again. How things change. He ran his fingers through her unruly curls, watched as she sighed and shifted against his body. He pulled her closer, amazed that someone so small could physically and mentally handle all that she had been through. Merlin knew Severus struggled with his own experiences more often than not. He wondered how she hadn't completely crumbled and come undone like some of the others had. His eyes strayed to the scar on her forearm and his fingers outlined the disgusting word torn into her skin for the rest of her life. The girl was a marvel, really, and he cursed himself for not noticing sooner.

Or maybe he had. He still couldn't ignore the interest she had stirred in him when she'd turned in her application to his shop; a mixture of annoyance, exasperation, and curiosity. The girl was clearly not a girl anymore, but had somehow blossomed into her maturity and he found himself stealing glances at her whenever he had the chance.

Severus knew that some part of him had offered for her out of a selfish need to make her his. He wouldn't admit it to her, but he hadn't only intended to protect her. The thought of another man touching her made him grit his teeth and push down an anger he didn't understand. Imagine his surprise when she'd accepted the very evening he'd offered.

She shifted next to him, but didn't wake. He didn't expect her to, what with how much Dreamless Sleep she had taken. It had almost been a double dose. He protested loudly when she swallowed it and climbed back into bed, still naked, with him and promptly fell asleep on his chest. He considered taking a bit of the sleeping potion himself, but he knew he'd waited too long and he would have slept too late if he were to take it now. So he lay awake until early morning colours started to leak through the curtains covering the windows. She didn't stir again for another hour, when sunlight lit the room with pale yellow light.

Slowly, her cheek rubbed against his chest, and then she rolled off of him onto her back. The flannel sheets that covered her draped around her waist, leaving her bare from there up. He watched her openly, excusing himself as her husband with every right to look. She didn't seem to mind. If she did, he was sure she would tell him. Her eyes opened slowly and it looked like it took her a moment to collect her bearings but when she seemed to remember where she was, she turned to him with a sleepy smile. He wanted to kiss that smile and touch the body splayed out on his bed. Seeming to realize how exposed she was, Hermione shyly pulled the sheets up to her neck and rolled to face him. He supported himself on one elbow, and she watched him come to a quick decision about something that made her eye him suspiciously.

"I wonder something," he said.

"I figured you did," she replied.

"I hadn't given much thought to it, since this marriage is not exactly traditional," he raised his eyebrows at her and she grinned.

"Not traditional at all."

"Will you let me finish?" His snap wasn't sincere and she grinned wider. "We should have a honeymoon. Get our minds off that idiot." Hermione wasn't sure if the idiot he referred to was Krum or the stranger, but she chewed her lip nervously. He was trying to make her feel better and doing a rather good job of it which was not something she ever expected from him.

"Erm-sure. That sounds nice." He nodded resoundly.

"Where are we going, then? Your choice." He seemed to have caught her off guard and she opened her mouth only to close it again.

"Anywhere?" She asked carefully. He nodded, not smiling.

"Well…" she thought a moment. "I think I'd like to visit Norway. The history is fascinating and I'd love to visit some exhibits." He rolled his eyes and she would have stomped her foot had she not been in bed. "You said anywhere!"

"Leave it to you to turn a vacation into an academic lecture, Granger. Let's go to Norway. Go home and get your bags packed. We'll leave this afternoon."

-v-

"Norway?" Hermione nodded and packed her warmest jumpers neatly in a muggle duffle bag while Ginny sat on her bed and watched.

"Yeah. The history there is really interesting. I'm looking forward to it," she said with enthusiasm. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"You couldn't have gone somewhere more romantic?"

"Who's to say it won't be romantic? Besides, Ginny, you know it's not that sort of marriage." Ginny rolled her eyes again and Hermione glared at her.

"Right… you only spend the night with him, and have dinner with him, and go on dates. Not a romantic relationship at all, right?" Hermione shrugged, stuffing knickers, bras, and socks into the bag. She packed a few frilly pairs for good measure at Ginny's mention of romance.

"Ok, so we like each other. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Hermione, I'm saying that's a good thing. You're married to him. Hopefully you like each other a little bit. Have the romance." Hermione smirked. She packed one of her nicer dresses and a pair of shoes to match, just for good measure.

"Leaving us so soon, are you?" Hermione and Ginny both turned to Arthur's smiling face in her doorway.

"Hermione's going on a honeymoon," Ginny said in a playfully taunting sing-song voice. Hermione felt herself blush to her toes and hide behind her hair.

"Erm-yes. Severus suggested we go away for a little while."

"Well-doesn't that sound-erm-lovely," Ginny laughed at her father's and Hermione's awkwardness on the subject. "Where are you off to, then?"

"Norway," Hermione replied, more animated this time.

"Ah, wonderful! Great history. Those vikings contribute greatly to the Wizarding World."

"The Vikings were wizards?" Hermione asked, stunned.

"Had you any doubt?" He winked at her. "Have a wonderful trip."

-v-

"Did you know that the Vikings were wizards?" Hermione asked as Severus led them to their portkey. He scoffed and glanced sidewise at her.

"Everyone does," he mumbled, scanning the ground.

"I didn't," she said, frowning.

"For once, Miss Granger doesn't know something. I'll mark it on my calendar." She scowled at him.

"Why didn't we learn about it in History of Magic?"

"Possibly because Binns was an incompetent excuse for a professor and he should have retired when he stepped out of his body-Ah!" Severus pointed to an old tennis racket with most of its strings missing they stepped over to it. They both placed their hands on it, and Severus looked down at his watch for a moment. "Hold on," he told her just as she felt the familiar tug behind her navel and the spinning sensation that transported them to their destination.

When their feet hit the ground, she stumbled and fell promptly on her rear. Severus covered his mouth to hide his smirk and helped her back to her feet. She brushed grass and dirt from her bum and looked around. Norway looked quite like Scotland, but colder. In the near distance, Hermione could see a town.

"Welcome to Oslo," Severus said, gesturing toward it. Together, they made their way toward the country's capital.

Severus suggested they deposit their luggage at their bed and breakfast, and took her to a cozy-looking home. The sign outset read Lovisenburg, and he pulled a set of keys from his robes. How he managed to retrieve the keys before their arrival, she wasn't sure, but she also wasn't going to ask. He let them in, taking her bag from her and putting it on the bed, along with his.

"Shall we freshen up and find dinner?" Hermione suggested softly, looking around the sweetly decorated room. It was done in soft greys and lavenders, casting Severus as a tall dark shadow against its pastels. She giggled, but only regarded her coolly.

"How about a bath, and then dinner?" He didn't even wait for an answer. He took her by the fingertips and led her to the ensuite bathroom, stripping his clothes off as he went. She watched, mouth agape as he set the tub filling with a flick of his fingers. With another flick, she was naked before him. She gasped in surprise and glared at him. But he didn't miss the way her eyes flickered to and from the hot water in the bathtub.

She wanted in that bathtub.

He tugged her toward the tub, stepping in and bracing her arms when she did as well.

"We're not going to do anything," he assured her as he sank into the hot water. She knelt down as well and he pulled her into the V of his legs. Despite his promise that they weren't going to do anything, Hermione tensed when she felt his stiffness against her bum.

"Severus-" she protested, sitting forward.

"I said we're not going to do anything, and we're not. But there's nothing I can do about _reacting_." He leaned forward with her and twisted her hair over her shoulder so he had access to them. He reached for the washcloth draped over the edge of the clawfoot tub and soaked it in the warm water before running it along her skin and watching the skin turn pink with its heat. Her breath came out in a soft moan and her head lolled to one side. _We're not going to do anything_ , Severus repeated to himself, almost unable to stop a groan as he watched her muscles tense and then relax with a shiver.

Hermione could get very used to this. She nearly collapsed against him when he dropped the washcloth and his fingers worked the ever-tense muscles of her neck and shoulders. When his hands found the soreness that stayed forever present in her damaged shoulders, her head did fall back against him and she groaned. He had a full view of her face now. He could see her lashes fluttering closed, her lips parting in the softest of smiles. He never expected this-to feel such affection toward anyone, let alone _her_.

For a while, they simply sat together in the hot water. If it grew colder, Severus warmed it with a flick of his fingers, eliciting a delighted sigh from his wife. Soon, though, he heard her stomach growl and she giggled, embarrassed. He had to admit that he was quite hungry, as well.

"Let's go wander down the way and find a restaurant, shall we?" He suggested as she sat up from against him. Her head bobbed enthusiastically. They lifted themselves from the bathtub, dried, and dressed in warm clothes. Severus was sure there was a pub around closeby. There had to be.

It was chilly outside, but the sun was still hovering low in the sky, offering some warmth as they made a left from their bed and breakfast and walked a few blocks to a nearby cafe. Hermione peeked through the window, satisfied to see the patrons dressed casually. They went inside and found a vacant table in a far corner and took the menus offered to them by their waitress, whose name was Juliet. Juliet was watching Severus strangely and moved closer to Hermione's side of the table to take their drink orders. Hermione ordered a bourbon and coke, blushing when her ID was requested. Severus smirked at her and ordered the same for himself. Juliet continued to eye Severus suspiciously, and kept shooting concerned glances at Hermione.

"What on earth was that about, do you think?" Hermione asked him when Juliet walked away. Severus shrugged.

"I couldn't know."

"You're a legilimens, of course you could."

"I'm not forcing my way into a waitress's mind," Severus said and she shrugged. Said waitress returned with their drinks and took their food orders. Smoked salmon with potatoes for Hermione, and Torsk for Severus. He told her that the Norwegians were known for their poached fish. They sipped their drinks in silence, Hermione watching him wearily from beneath her lashes.

"Out with it, Granger," Severus grumbled.

"I'm just thinking about what you said about Lucius," she said carefully, but didn't break eye contact with him when he glared at her.

"I told you what said."

"Indeed, you did. But you also said you don't know how we'll handle it. I think we should discuss it." Severus put his drink down a little more loudly than what was really necessary.

"You want to discuss it here? Now? In a restaurant full of people in Norway?" She nodded and he sighed. "Fine. I was going to suggest we recruit Potter, but I hadn't planned on having this brainstorming session until after we'd returned."

"Recruiting Harry for what?" Hermione asked.

"For protection. To guard the shop while you're working and generally keep an eye out for you when I'm not able to." She shook her head.

"No, Harry has a job-"

"A job as an Auror. It's his job to protect the public, is it not?" She chewed her lip and thought about it.

"Fine, you can ask him. You know he won't decline, Severus"

"Precisely." The waitress came then, placing their food in front of them, still giving Severus suspicious looks as she did, and then disappeared to the other side of the restaurant without offering them anything else. Severus shrugged at Hermione, deciding not to worry about it.

When they finished eating, Severus left the money for the bill and they stood to leave. The waitress reappeared to take their bill and placed a hand on Hermione's arm. Hermione startled and looked up at her.

"Thank you, Miss. I hope that your trip is going very well and that you're having a wonderful time." Her words were forced and Hermione felt Severus stiffen next to her.

"Well, we only just got here, but yes. We're having a nice time so far. It's our honeymoon, you see and-" Hermione stopped when she felt Severus' hand on her shoulder.

"Your honeymoon?" The waitress asked, suddenly seeming embarrassed. "Oh, my. I'm so sorry, Ma'am. I didn't realize and-oh-you have a lovely evening now." She paled and rushed off, disappearing into the kitchen. Hermione looked up at Severus, eyebrows furrowed. He pulled her toward the door.

"I hope you and your daughter have a great vacation!" The host said kindly. Severus stopped them then, turned to Hermione and seemed to come to a hard decision. In a flash, he bent her back and brought his lips to hers in a searing kiss that ended almost as it had begun. He righted them, and turned back to the host with a sneer.

"She's my fucking wife."


	11. Chapter

**A reviewer mentioned that someone mistaking them as father and daughter was unrealistic. I disagree. Severus would be 42 or 43 while Hermione is 22(thank you to the reviewer who corrected me on her age.) This would make him old enough to be her father. I'm messing with all sorts of histories in this chapter. Don't hate me.**

 **As always, a huge thank-you to Thanatoslives for beta reading everything I write.**

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Hermione snapped. "What the hell was that?" Severus cringed and rubbed his cheek uncomfortably.

"My failed attempt at making myself worthy," he grumbled.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Granger, you're already young enough to feasibly be my daughter. It doesn't help the matter that strangers point it out in public," Hermione took his arm and stopped him from walking.

"Severus, you know that doesn't matter to me," she said, eyebrows furrowed.

"I imagine if it did, you'd have declined my offer."

"And if it bothered you, you'd not have offered at all," Hermione said, her voice almost hopeful.

"No, you're correct. What does bother me is when others make our age difference so obvious. You are still so young," he reached out a hand to cup her cheek, but she didn't smile. "Let's get back, shall we? You must be tired."

"A little bit, I suppose. Severus?"

"Mm?"

"What was the waitress thinking?"

"Why would I know that?" Severus asked vaguely.

"Come on," Hermione said. "I know you looked."

"She was thinking that she was going to call the police because you were being kidnapped and forced into the sex trade."

"She wasn't!"

"She certainly was." Hermione huffed her indignance and crossed her arms against her chest.

The walk back to their B&B was short, and Severus held the door open for her to enter their guest house. She smiled her thanks, and once they were inside and the door was closed, she lifted her jumper over her head. She'd barely reached for the button on her denim before she felt his hands on her waist and his mouth on her shoulder. Her heart jumped to her throat and when his hands smoothed over her stomach and made their way up to her bra. She thought there was something and careful and controlled in the way he touched her. He seemed nervous and unsure, even as his hands freed her of her denims and then moved to the clasp of her bra between her breasts. As he pulled the traps from her shoulders, she twisted in his arms to face him. He was watching her with caution and the eyes he lifted to hers were conflicted.

"What is it?" She asked as her fingers worked the buttons of his coat. His hands lifted and captured her wrists gently.

"I need to tell you something," he said, frowning only slightly. She waited for him to continue, her teeth tugging at her bottom lip in a way that made him want to abandon the the thought process all together and touch her again. "I'm a selfish man, Granger. My goal was not just to keep you from harm," she tilted her head slightly, curiously. "I've wanted you for a while. I wanted to make you mine."

"How long?" She asked, freeing her wrists and lifting her hands to rest on his shoulders.

"From the moment you handed me your job application, I think," he gauged her reaction and was relieved to see her only shrug.

"You hid it well," she told him and he chuckled.

"Well, I couldn't exactly drool over my employee. You'd have filed a harassment suit, I'm sure."

"Well, if we're sharing secrets, I have to admit that I noticed you, too."

"Did you?" She smirked when he tried to hide shock.

"Oh, yes. I noticed your voice," she said and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth. He froze. "Your hands," the other corner now. "Your eyes, of course," she kissed the tip of his nose. "Your smile."

"I don't smile," he scoffed.

"Oh, yes, you do," she grinned, nipping at his bottom lip. He groaned and found that he couldn't argue with her. He took her face between his hands and kissed her with such fervor that she felt herself stumble. But he caught her, backed her up, and lowered her to the bed. He broke their kiss and she cried out in protest but then his lips worked their way down her chest, between her breasts, over her stomach, and to the waistband of her jeans, which were quickly slid down her hips and discarded on the floor. Her knickers followed. He moved back up her body, completely naked beneath him now, and realized just how constricting his clothes felt against his skin. He jerked his shirt off and fumbled with the button of his trousers, but suddenly they vanished and he was naked with her. She giggled beneath him.

"Where did you learn wandless magic?" He growled into her ear. She shivered.

"That's a story for another time," she said, her voice husky. He settled himself between her thighs, steadied his length at her entrance and in one thrust, he was inside of her. Her mouth opened on a gasp and she arched her back when his thumb and forefinger found the peak of her breast, working it into a stiff nub. He slid out of her, and then pushed back in with a harsh groan. Her hair had become a messy, chaotic cloud around her head and she groaned with him as he stroked in and out of her body. Her gasp drove him deeper, harder, and he placed the flat of his hand against her stomach, his thumb rubbing the sensitive bud of nerves at her core in circular motions in time with his thrusts. She clamped her eyes closed, hands gripping his shoulders, nails digging into the skin. He didn't care, though. He watched the emotions play across her face and quickened his pace when her features scrunched in concentration.

"Oh, god. Severus I'm-" he could only guess how that sentence was going to end, but he was sure he would have guessed right. She cried out, coming up on one elbow and flinging the other arm around his shoulders. The new angle put him over the edge and with two more snaps of his hips, he cried out with her, spilling his heat within her.

She collapsed back on the bed, trembling and gasping, and he collapsed next to her. She pulled the bedclothes over both of them and watched as her husband drifted to sleep with a hand rested carefully on her cheek.

-v-

Hermione couldn't sleep. She'd flipped the television on for an hour, hoping some background noise would lull her to sleep with no such luck. She thought that maybe a walk might help and disentangled herself from Severus to slip her clothes and a coat on and leave their guesthouse quietly, careful not to wake him. The night was mild, but chilly, and she was glad she'd put her coat on. She zipped it up to her neck, shoved her hands in the pockets and wandered down the road, stopping every now and then to admire the various lawns and gardens in the darkness. It did seem like a completely different world at night. There were some couples out, arms or hands linked. Some women had their heads rested on their partner's' shoulder. She smiled to herself and found herself thinking about her marriage.

What a strange situation she'd found herself in. She'd known Severus since she was twelve years old, and never once in that time did the thought of a relationship with him cross her mind. Sure, her rebellious mind had crossed to the lustful side of things a few times during her employment under him, but she'd never entertained the thought of even a date, let alone marriage. As a teenager, she'd thought she was sure to marry Ron. She'd had visions of a big Weasley wedding, and several small red-haired children running around their feet. She expected to continue her education and become a mediwitch. Ron had encouraged her to stay home while he became an Auror. He'd always wanted a wife who would stay home with their children. Just like his mother had. A week into that, and Hermione found herself miserable. She was bright, she wanted a career of her own. So, she went out and found a job in the least likely place she could have expected. Ron had been cross with her and told her she could work until they had children. And that was when the fighting began. And that was how their relationship ended. Their sex life had died long before they decided to break up.

Unsure of the time, and growing colder, Hermione turned and headed back toward the guesthouse. She hadn't made it far, having walked slowly as she thought, and was soon opening the door to the brightly lit room. It shouldn't have been brightly lit; she'd left it dark so Severus could sleep.

"Where have you been?!" Severus flew at her from where he sat at the table in the corner. He'd tugged on a pair of trousers but nothing else. He shut the door behind her and took her chin in his hand, turning her face this way and that as though looking for something. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Hermione said with a short laugh. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. It's nice outside." Severus looked angry.

"You went for a walk, alone, at night, in a foreign country, when there is someone trying to get to you? Have you completely taken leave of your senses?" Hermione's heart dropped into her stomach and she ducked her head.

"I'm sorry, I hadn't given it any thought," she said softly. He unzipped her coat with a sigh and slipped it from her arms. With one finger, he shucked her beneath the chin and lifted her gaze to his.

"You were gone over an hour. I was concerned. You should have woken me."

"I'm sorry," she said. "You were sleeping hard, I didn't want to disturb you." He wrapped his arms around her, and she could feel him trembling slightly. He'd really been scared.

"You couldn't disturb me, ridiculous girl. Not as long as I know you're safe." A tear slid down her cheek and she wrapped her arms around him, as well. He led her back to the bed and she let him remove her clothes again before they lay down and wrapped around each other.

Hermione drifted in two pools of obsidian before finally drifting off to sleep.

-v-

"This vessel, 60 feet in length, is believed to be the only surviving ship built by Hrafna-Flóki. Although it has been restored for showing, approximately 80% of the vessel is original craft," Hermione read allowed and looked up at the massive boat, her mouth agape.

"And muggles truly think these majestic pieces of art could be created without magic in the 790s," Severus scoffed, shaking his head. Hermione glanced sidelong at him, smiling slightly. They moved on to a large, rusted sheild that looked as though it may have been red at one point.

"Shields like this one were wielded by the shield maidens of Viking armies. This one has not been restored and could be similar to one used by the legendary Hlaðgerðr."

"Lagertha," Severus translated. Hermione looked up at him and nodded.

"I've read of her," she said. "She may not have existed."

"Most legendary beings from Viking history are based on several different people," he explained. "Had Binns been even a somewhat competent professor, you would have learned all about the wizards of Norway and the pioneers of Viking magic. Lagertha and Ragnar being two of them. Floki, while influential, made no significant magical contributions."

"I'm questioning my entire education," she mumbled and moved to look at a helmet whose previous owner was unknown.

"I'm amazed it took you this long, honestly." A set of kitchenware caught her eye and she moved further down.

"How do you remember all of this?" Hermione asked. Severus shrugged next to her.

"I'm a descendent of Danish Vikings," he said simply.

"And you didn't say anything?" Hermione spun around to face him so quickly he nearly collided with her. He scowled down into her face.

"I didn't think it was relevant to our marriage," he said gruffly, and Hermione got the feeling that he was embarrassed. "Where does your family come from?" He meant for his question to be biting, but she simply shrugged.

"Mum's family was from Isreal and later mingled with Anglos. Dad's family is Scottish."

"You're Jewish?"

"I am," she replied with a firm nod. He had more questions for her but quelled them, and they moved through the rest of the museum in silence.

-v-

Before they knew it, a week had gone by. They'd visited several museums and points of interest. Hermione had purchased enough books to fill a library, figuratively speaking of course. They'd eaten every exotic food they could find and swore off several of them. And they had a lot of sex. Severus seemed unable to get his fill of her, and her of him. But as they walked arm-in-arm back to the apparition point beyond Oslo, Hermione was glad to be going home. She was positive Fran would be happy to see them, and happy for the several days off she'd been promised in exchange for keeping the shop running while they were gone. She was especially excited about seeing her family.

Severus pulled her close to him, spun, and they landed just outside of Grimmauld Place. He'd intended to drop her and the things she'd collected on their trip and head home, but she took him by the hand and pulled him inside with her. It was all well and good, he supposed. He needed to discuss her protection with Potter, anyway.

They found her family in the kitchen, as they usually were. Molly was cooking, Arthur was drinking tea and reading the paper, Ginny was drinking tea and reading a book while slipping jinxes at her brother discretely, and Harry and Ron were playing chess. Ron was growing more aggravated as Ginny's jinxes threw the game in favor of Harry. They all looked up when Hermione and Severus blocked the light from the hallway to the kitchen and Ginny shrieked with excitement. She bounded over to Hermione and threw her arms around her neck.

"I was starting to think you weren't coming back!" She said.

"Ginny, we were only gone for a week," Hermione laughed

"Potter, may I have a word?" Severus asked over her shoulder. Harry nodded, checked Ron's king (Ron exclaimed loudly and nearly flipped the board,) and followed Snape out of the room.

Severus led Harry to the library, which had been his go-to quiet place since headquarters had been established, and reached into his pockets to pull out the shrunken packages Hermione had given him to carry. Their size had been reduced, but their weight had not, and his neck and shoulders were aching. He dropped the miniature packages on the floor next to sofa and returned them to their original size.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Harry asked, sitting down on the sofa.

"Yes. I'm assuming that you're aware of what happened in the Apothecary the day before our wedding?" Harry nodded, his mouth turning down in a frown. "I've decided that I would like a guard of sorts in the shop during opening are closest with her, and I would like to pay you to keep her safe while she's working." Harry considered him for a moment and finally shrugged.

"You know I can't say no," he said with a sigh. "There's really someone after her, then…" It wasn't a question, but a realization. Severus nodded slowly.

"There is. But I don't know who."

"It has to be Lucius fucking Malfoy, doesn't it?" Harry spat.

"It's not Lucius. Lucius would flaunt his intent to harm her, not warn us against someone after her. I'm going to find out who intends to harm my wife, and they will not get off easily."

"You really ought to leave that to us," Harry said, eyebrows furrowed. "You narrowly avoided Azkaban after the war. Don't do everything you can to go now." Severus flinched as though recalling the memory was painful. "If you kill someone, even if it was to protect Hermione, I can't keep you out of prison."

"When I find out who it is, I will tell you," Severus said reluctantly. "Can you start tomorrow?" Harry nodded and stood up, shaking Severus' hand.


	12. Surprised

**Thanks again to my lovely beta, Thanatoselives. I'm also so very sorry that this chapter took so bloody long. I'm a terrible author I know. Please forgive me.**

"G'mornin'," Harry said groggily, yawning as Hermione handed him a takeout coffee and unlocked the Apothecary door. She smirked and shook her head. Harry had been standing guard at the shop for about three weeks and still hadn't gotten used to the hours.

"You're kind of spoiled by your government job, aren't you?" Harry shrugged and took a drink of his coffee, hissing as it burned his mouth. She rolled her eyes at him.

"I s'pose. Don't really have to go in unless something's happening, so yeah. You could say that." Harry grinned and they walked inside together. She locked the door again so that she could count the till. The door to Severus' apartment opened and he stepped out, looking more rested than she and Harry did, and Hermione figured it was probably because she hadn't stayed with him last night. She'd also been up most of the night with a queasy stomach and body aches that made her concerned that she was coming down with a flu. But by morning it had passed, aside from some fatigue.

Severus nodded at Harry and quirked a smile at Hermione while he collected various ingredients from the cupboards for his daily potions and other refills. Hermione unlocked the door again with her wand and flipped the open sign. She took a sip from her own coffee and pressed her hand to her stomach when a wave of nausea washed over her. It happened quickly and then dissipated. Severus' eyes flickered to her, narrowed with curiosity. She smiled at him and shrugged, taking another sip from her coffee before turning to deal with some invoices that needed to be paid.

Later, after Frannie had come in for her shift, Hermione went into the back to visit the safe. She'd added up the invoices and took the money out to pay them. When she stood back up from where she knelt, she came face-to-face with Severus and jumped several inches. She stuffed the money into her pocket and looked at him with expectation. His eyes were calculating, his thin mouth turned down into a frown.

"Stay with me tonight?" He asked, but Hermione got the distinct feeling that he was going to ask her something else. She nodded, offering a small smile, before returning to the register.

Money was put into different envelopes along with their invoices, addressed, and placed by the window for the morning owl. Fifteen minutes until her shift was over. Hermione returned to the front counter with Frannie and organized the paperwork she would need to sort out in the morning, pulling out a small planner to write tomorrow's agenda down, and then bid goodbye to her coworker. She waved to Harry, and then climbed the stairs to Severus' flat.

Once inside, she kicked off her shoes, hung her cloak up, and went to his bedroom to change her clothes. She pulled on a pair of her sleep pants that he'd laundered for her (she had to remember to thank him,) and a t-shirt before returning to the living room. With a flick of her wand, she set tea brewing and selected a book from his stash. With a hot cuppa and a book, she curled up in the corner of his sofa to read. She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, the book was pulled from her hands and the cup of tea was placed on the coffee table. She looked up groggily into Severus' face. He was looking at her the same way he'd been before and Hermione sat up to return his gaze with one of annoyance.

"You've been holding something back all afternoon. What is it?" She snapped. Severus' eyebrows rose and she apologized softly. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet and into the kitchen where he handed her a potion.

"Spit in this," he instructed and she made a noise of indignance.

"I beg your pardon, I will not!" She said, and then froze with the potion in her hand.

Oh.

Oh, no.

"Is this what I think it is?" He nodded mutely, his face impassive. She blew her breath out in a harsh _whoosh_ and unstoppered the potion to spit in it. Severus took it from her, shook it, and they watched as it turned from milky white to bright blue.

And at that point, Hermione bent over the sink and vomited.

Severus held the potion at arms length, as though it carried a rather potent poison, and dumped it in the sink while she ran the water. He placed the phial in the sink and regarded her carefully.

"Right," he said shortly. "The ministry will be pleased." Hermione cringed and left the kitchen with a glare in his direction, her arms wrapped securely around her middle. He followed her into the bathroom and watched as she brushed her teeth, shooting glares at him through the mirror. He rolled his eyes and reached forward to hold her hair back while she spit into the sink.

"Need I remind you, yet again, that this was the whole point of the marriage law?"

"So you're happy about this, are you?" Hermione said shrilly, turning to face him, her hand pressed her to abdomen.

"No!" Severus snapped. "I never wanted brats!"

"What are our options, then?"

"We have only one. Have the child. If we try to abort, the ministry will get involved." Hermione blanched and moved passed him to sit on the edge of the bed. Her head swam and she felt like she would be sick again.

"I'm pregnant," she murmured, perplexed. He nodded slowly. "Severus...there's still someone out there trying to get to me. What if they get our baby?" Severus shook his head and moved to kneel in front of her.

"I told you I was going to protect you, and I will. That includes any extensions of you. Understand?" She nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. He pulled her to her knees in front of him and wrapped his arms around her, willing his heart not to break when he heard her sob.

-v-

Hermione led Severus up the stairs of Grimmauld place, but didn't open the door. With her hand poised on the doorknob, she turned to face him, her nerves clear on her face. They'd agreed to tell her family that night, a week after her positive test. Severus had made an appointment for her at St. Mungo's Women's Ward the day after and the mediwitch determined that Hermione was about six weeks along. The morning sickness had taken a toll on her body, causing her to lose enough weight to be noticed. Mrs. Weasley in particular had begun asking questions about her rapid weightless, and so had Frannie.

"We have to go inside, Granger. It's cold and you might get sick," Severus said. He'd been extra cautious and protective of her the past week and Hermione was ready to snap at him. But she didn't. She nodded and opened the door.

The Weasleys, with the exception of Ginny and Molly, were in the sitting room. Severus took a seat by the fire and conversed with Arthur while Harry and Ron played chess. Hermione ventured into the kitchen. Molly was seasoning a pot of soup and Ginny was flipping grilled cheese sandwiches in a skillet next to her. They smiled at Hermione while she set the table and brewed tea. Severus had banned her from tea. Coffee, as well and she was still experiencing headaches from the caffeine withdrawal. He had also removed her potion regiment, which was proving to be much more difficult to come off of than the coffee.

When the table was set and Molly had ladled soup and portioned sandwiches, Ginny called to the men to come eat. Molly pointed to where Hermione should sit, a place with twice the amount of sandwiches as everyone else, and she laughed softly, shaking her head. Severus leaned down and kissed the top of her head as he took his seat next to her, shaking his head as well when he saw her plate.

"Wine, dear?" Molly asked, holding out a bottle, ready to fill her glass. Hermione shook her head with a smile.

"I'll stick with water tonight, thank you." Molly smiled at her and filled the other glasses, including Severus'. "In fact," Hermione said tentatively, earning the attention of the whole table. Severus touched her shoulder encouragingly. "I'll be sticking with water for quite some time."

"Oh, darling," Molly breathed. "You're not-Oh, my!" The wine bottle hit the countertop with a thud, and Molly flew around the table to fling her arms around Severus and Hermione.

"How far along are you, then?" the older witch asked, releasing them to wipe tears from her cheeks.

"You mean-?" Arthur asked, his eyes darting to Hermione's flat abdomen. "Severus? Is this true?" Severus nodded and Arthur's face turned a rather unpleasant shade of red. "Have the both of you lost your minds? Hermione, you're still a child. You're so young, and you-" He stopped abruptly and stood from the table, leaving the kitchen all together. They all watched him go in awe.

"Wow," Harry said flatly. "I thought he was going to hit you," he turned to look at Severus, who looked just as stunned as the rest of them. Hermione excused herself softly from the table and went to find Arthur. He'd shut himself in the library and Hermione found him staring into the lit fireplace, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. She sat next to him silently, shooting him nervous glances.

"You know," he said, his voice gruff but defeated. "When you married Severus, I thought maybe it would be temporary. I didn't think it would affect your life in such a way. I didn't think you'd be announcing your pregnancy at twenty-two years old. You have your whole life ahead of you." He didn't look at her and that made her uncomfortable.

"I still have my life," she said softly. "I can still have my plans, and my ambitions. I can still go to uni if I want to, or pursue my mastery." Arthur looked at her skeptically out of the corner of his eye. "I'll tell you the truth, I'm terrified. I can't do this without you and Molly. You're my parents. I need you." It could have been a trick of the light, but Hermione thought she saw his eyes brimming with tears, and he lifted an arm to wrap around her, pulling her into his side.

And that was how Severus found them. He knocked lightly on the door frame and peered inside.

"Is it safe to enter?" Arthur stood up then and stepped over to him. For a moment, he simply regarded Severus, looking somewhat disappointed, and then held his hand out. Severus accepted it and they shook.

"You'd better take care of this girl. You'd have nine Weasleys after you if you didn't, and I promise you wouldn't survive." Severus nodded quickly while Hermione watched him with a smirk.

"Molly says dinner is getting cold." He said and Hermione stood up, suddenly famished. The three of them re-entered the kitchen and took their seats. As Hermione walked by Ron, he reached out a hand to pat her belly.

"Do it, and you pull back a bloody stump," she said with no real malice, but he retreated anyway and she sat down.

Throughout dinner, she and Severus talked about the pregnancy, doctors appointments, and things that Hermione was no longer allowed to have. Molly burst into tears and hugged her again when she told them she was six weeks in. Severus gave her a look that clearly told her it wouldn't be the last time.

-v-

"Pregnant," Frannie said in awe. "That's wonderful, Hermione! Severus!" In a burst of emotion, she threw her arms around Severus' neck while Hermione watched with a smirk. He patted her back awkwardly until she let go, wiping tears from her face.

"Yes, well," Severus mumbled. "I have brewing that requires my attention." The two women nodded, Hermione rolling her eyes only slightly. He fixed her with a glare before disappearing into his lab.

Several times during the day, Hermione had to excuse herself to use the loo in the basement. She was was starting to grow concerned about the frequency with which she was falling ill and made a note to ask her mediwitch. She left the loo and grabbed a box of parchment and quills to bring up to the counter; they were running low. As she made her way up the stairs, she stopped twice to catch her breath and told herself it was because she was exhausted, and not because the box was too heavy. When she pushed the door open to the sales floor, Frannie saw her and dashed forward.

"You shouldn't be carrying that, love," she said, and of course she would pick the precise time that Severus had stepped out of his lab.

"You're not supposed to lift anything over a stone," he growled, grabbing the box up from her arms.

"I thought you had brewing to do," Hermione grumbled, resting her hands on her hips and regarding him warily.

"I finished early," he explained gruffly. "Take the rest of the day, Granger." She scowled.

"I'm pregnant, Severus, not disabled." He stood up straight and turned to her with a stern expression.

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you as your employer to take the rest of the day." With a glare, she spun from him, grabbed the paperwork she'd intended to finish that day, and stalked toward the Floo.

She stepped into the kitchen at Grimmauld place, still scowling, and mumbling expletives about her husband, and made her way to the library. Ginny and Ron were already inside; Ginny had sprawled out across the sofa, reading a book, and Ron was playing Chess against himself. They both looked up when she stepped through the door, and tossed her paperwork on the small table that sat in the far corner. She lit her wand so she could see better and pulled a quill and pot of ink toward her. Ron and Ginny exchanged looks of confusion.

"Uh-hey, Hermione," Ron said. "No work today?" She looked up with a sour expression.

"No. My overprotective husband sent me off for the day." Ginny sat up with a smirk.

"He was worried about you? What did you do?"

"I lifted a damn box," she disdained.

"You're pregnant, babe. Let him do the lifting for a while," Ginny said, and Ron nodded, looking slightly out of his element.

"If I can't even do my job-"

"'Mione, you can still sign papers and rearrange shelves and place orders and that lot. Just ask for help every now and then. It won't bloody kill you," Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Besides," Ginny said, "It's really sweet that worries after you. I never thought I'd see a soft Snape." At that, Hermione did smile a little. She gathered her paperwork and stood back up.

"Thank you, guys. I think I need to go apologize. I may have overreacted."

"You?" Ron asked, his voice dripping with playful sarcasm. "Never."


	13. Carried

**A/N: **Trigger Warning: Miscarriage.****

 **I'm sorry I haven't updated in a millenia. My muse seems to be off and running as of late, and not bringing anything useful back with her to share.**

It was hormones. It had to be. Severus was sure that no employee of his would speak to him that way on the sales floor, regardless of his relationship to her. And damn the girl, too, for not accepting that he was trying to take care of her. He never wanted children, but he'd be buggered if he didn't at least try to take care of the woman cursed to carry his.

Severus turned and nearly fell flat on his rear when he collided with a petite bushy-haired witch. His wife smiled sheepishly up at him and stepped through the door of his lab, gesturing with one finger that he should follow her. He shut the door behind them after glaring at Frannie when she smirked at them, and turned to the younger witch with his arms crossed against his chest. He didn't smile. In fact so still was he, and so expressionless, that Hermione feared she had perhaps seriously overstepped her bounds this time. She had half a mind to go back home again.

"You needed something?" Severus asked, his tone flat and eerily reminiscent of when he was a student in his class. She flinched visibly, and he almost cracked.

"I-erm-I just," Hermione took a breath. She was trying to apologize, but damn he was making it difficult. The rebellious side of her brain told her to leave and let him stew in his nasty mood. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. I'm sorry I snapped and responded the way I did," at that, Severus did relax his stance. His arms dropped to his sides and he sighed.

"This is going to take some getting used to." Hermione nodded in agreement and stared at the floor. His hand came up to cup her chin, tilting her face back up so that their eyes met. Gone was the hardness, but his searched hers.

"Neither of us are ready for this, I know," Severus said slowly. "We have to get there. We don't have a choice in this. This child-" he stopped to blow out a hard breath through his nose. "It may not feel real yet, but it's coming. We have to accept that, and you need to take better care of yourself. There's only so much I can do." Hermione nodded again, chastised, and chewed her lip. "Promise me," he said, his voice hard.

"I promise."

-v-

 _"Crucio!" The scream Hermione heard was her own, even though she'd stopped feeling the pain itself several curses ago. Her body still exploded. She was vaguely aware that she was crying and that she'd wet herself. The throbbing in her arm where she'd been branded flared to life again. "Crucio!"_

 _"Hermione! Get off her! Get off her! Hermione!"_

 _Ron._

 _She wanted to turn her head._

 _But she couldn't._

 _The weight of her own body was too much to move and it took everything in her to even open her eyes._

 _And see Ron watching her, terror filling his eyes. To see Harry looking around the room, calculating, trying to come up with a plan._

 _It happened so fast that Hermione couldn't even register it. Her arm was yanked, and she slid across the floor into hot, trembling arms and she recognized Ron's scent._

Hermione woke suddenly, sitting up board straight in bed and gasping for air, sweat beading her forehead and chest. Her fingers raked at her hair, trying to get it out of her face. She couldn't breath. Warm fingers brushed her cheek and she shrieked, scrambling back against the headboard of the bed.

"Shh," she recognized Severus' voice. "Just a dream. Just a dream…" His words were followed by snoring and Hermione didn't fall back asleep that night.

-v-

Severus caught the keys as they dropped into his hand, letting out a slow breath of acceptance as he did so. His realtor, the one he'd dealt with since he'd purchased the shop, gave him a small smile and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

"It's yours now. You're a homeowner," Severus cringed at that, but nodded.

"I suppose I am," he agreed. They said their goodbyes and Severus locked the door to the three bedroom, two bathroom home that he had just purchased three blocks from the shop. On his walk back to the shop, he stopped by the florist. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to purchase the small bundle of wildflowers with white and yellow jonquils prominent, but before he really knew what he was doing, he was leaving the store with them and a small piece of parchment with his new home address written on it.

The door's bell seemed to barely make a sound amongst the chatter of people in the Apothecary. He nodded to a couple of regulars before brushing passed Potter and Hermione to the back room. He put the flowers on the shelf, made sure the address was facing out, and went silently to his lab where he waited.

Severus managed to finish several of their regular potions, including several more personal prescriptions, before the door to the lab swung open and he looked up to a pair of suspicious brown eyes. In her small fingers was the piece of parchment. She walked toward him and place it down on the bench in front of him.

"What is this?" She asked. He made a show of picking it up and looking it over, even though it was very obviously his handwriting.

"It looks like an address."

"Well, yes, of course it's an address, Severus. Where is it?" He made the same show again.

"4135 Willow Lane." Hermione glared down at him where he sat.

"What is at 4135 Willow Lane?"

"You'll have to wait and see, won't you?" She was clearly irritated, and Severus had to fight his smirk. She grit her teeth, glared at him, and spun away to go back to work. Harry frowned at her when she returned to the floor scowling.

"What was it?" He asked from where he stood by the door.

"He wouldn't tell me," she grumbled as she directed a customer to the cough suppressants.

At precisely 6:00 in the evening, Hermione locked the door and barged into the lab where Severus was wiping down his workspace. The room was cleaned to perfection, as usual, with not even a trace of potion or ingredient left. He pretended not to notice that she was there, but his eyes darted to her twice, and she'd made too much noise with the door for him not to notice her. Finally, after what seemed like several minutes, he looked up and held his arms out.

"Well? Are you ready?" She grunted at him in irritation and he placed a hand to the small of her back and guided her out the back door.

He walked her around the corner, passed a pub and a florist. They crossed the street and turned another corner and then Severus stopped abruptly in front of a modest, but not small, ranch-style home with a large porch and yard in front. He imagined that she would gasp, that she would throw herself at him, that she might even cry. Instead, she turned to him, her mouth agape in an expression that clearly read confusion rather than shocked joy.

"It's a house," she said simply, and he snorted.

"Obviously."

"Whose house is this?" He scowled at her and crossed his arms against his chest.

"It's yours-ours. It's ours." Her face changed into something more of annoyance.

"You bought a house?" He nodded. "You bought a house without consulting me?"

"Granger, I'm not forcing you to live here," he said gruffly. "I bought a house because we're about to have a child who will need a stable home. I'm hoping you will live here, with me, so that we can provide that." Severus recognized defeat in her eyes, then, and she nodded. Turning to him, she smiled and wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Thank you," she said, her voice muffled by his coat.

"Can we go inside now?" He felt her head bob against his chest.

-v-

Their first night in the house passed without event, as did the second, and third. By their second week there, they'd developed their own routine, and felt that it really was a home. Harry still teased her at work, and Ginny pouted about losing her friend to the casualties of pregnancy and marriage, but Hermione knew that they were all happy for her. She was happier than she thought she would be. After the war, Hermione thought it would be impossible to leave the Weasleys, especially with how close she'd come to losing them all in battle. But it was time, and she knew it when she saw the way that Severus looked at her sitting at their kitchen table, that she spread her wings and leave the nest.

The Sunday following their move, exactly two weeks later, Hermione sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea (green, as Severus was severely limiting her caffeine intake,) reading the Profit when she was hit with a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. It lasted not even a minute, but surprised her so that she gasped, startling Severus at the sink. He glanced over his shoulder, but upon seeing her hand against her stomach, abandoned the dishes and was at her side.

"What's wrong?" He asked, somewhat relieved when she seemed to relax a little.

"I just got a cramp. I think it's nothing. Just surprised me, is all." She offered him a small smile and relaxed back against her chair again, but her hand stayed over her stomach and slight swell that was barely noticeable except to her. He rested a hand on her shoulder for a moment before returning to the dishes.

Severus had errands to run, and Hermione offered to come with him, but he told her he'd be more comfortable if she stayed home and rested, and she promptly reminded him that she wasn't terminal and could go wherever she bloody-well pleased. In the end, Severus lost, and Hermione was tugging on her coat whilst he glared at her.

They went to Gringotts first,where Severus withdrew a sum of money that looked far too large for Hermione's liking, and then he took her through Diagon Alley to several stores and told her to pick out her favorite colors for a nursery. And to think he intended to leave her behind, she grumbled to him, but he told her he intended for it to be a surprise. She promptly snapped at him to look away when her eye welled with tears, and he chuckled at her.

When the nursery items were set for delivery, and Hermione was practically vibrating with anticipation about what color she would charm the walls, Severus took her to the pub he'd taken her before their wedding.

"How are you feeling?" Severus asked when they sat down. Hermione shrugged.

"A bit bloated and crampy, but nothing bad," she confessed, taking a sip from the cup of tea the waiter brought her. Severus frowned, sipping at his own tea. It was colder out than it had been in recent days, the weather was turning. Hermione wrapped her hands around her teacup to warm her fingers.

They ate in relative silence, discussing occasionally the colors they wanted in their new home, or when she ought to take her maternity leave. As their meal wore on, the dull cramping Hermione had felt throughout the day began throbbing further, causing the occasional sharp pain. She tried not to worry herself too much, but knew herself well enough to know that she might start panicking soon. Softly, she excused herself to the loo while Severus paid the bill.

It hurt to sit. It hurt to walk. It hurt to move. Panic was beginning to set in as Hermione pulled her knickers from her hips. She heard herself gasp when she looked down and saw deep brownish red stains on the fabric. Quickly, she yanked her knickers back up, readjusted her robes, and sped back out to the restaurant. Severus was waiting for her by the door, and his face crumpled in concern when he saw her. He took her by the arm to steady her.

"We need to see a healer," she explained, her voice choked. "Now." Without bothering to leave the restaurant, he yanked her to him and spun on the spot.


	14. Taken

**A/N:**

 **TRIGGER WARNING: Miscarriage.**

 **I'm sorry this chapter took so long and is shorter than the others. It's about to get very very involved, and I'm trying to figure out how exactly I want to go about the themes coming up.**

 **Thanks!**

The moment their feet hit the ground, Hermione doubled over in pain. She heard Severus curse under his breath and she was pulled to the reception desk. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but with panic melding with pain, she found the task incredibly difficult. With one arm wrapped around her middle, and the other in Severus' firm grasp, she stared at the floor until she was addressed.

"What are we seeing you for today?" The mediwitch asked in a tone that suggested she felt anything but interest in their situation.

"I think I'm having a miscarriage," Hermione said quickly.

"And you're pregnant?" The mediwitch asked, deadpan. Hermione saw Severus' nostrils flair and he seemed to be having an inner debate with the kinder side of himself, but that side lost in the end.

"Would she be having a miscarriage otherwise?" He snapped. The mediwitch looked up finally, and jerked her head toward the waiting area.

"Have a seat. Someone will be with you when they're available." Severus slammed a fist down on the counter, causing both women to jump.

"Get someone. Now."

"You don't intimidate me, Professor Snape. Not anymore. Go have a seat," It suddenly dawned on Hermione that this grumpy woman had been two years ahead of her in school. Still sneering, Severus tugged Hermione, who was fully in tears by this point, to the waiting area and pushed her gently into a hard-backed chair. She bent over her knees in an effort to stem the flow of pain to her abdomen. It didn't help.

They waited one hour. And then another. Severus had gone up to inquire about their waiting time three times, but was now staring at the clock with his arms crossed and his jaw set. Hermione had visited the loo twice. By the third hour, a Healer finally called them back, shaking his head at the witch at reception. Severus helped Hermione up, taking her hand and leading her to follow the Healer back into an observation room. He made a couple comments about her miscarriage, waved his wand over her abdomen and silvery set of numbers appeared, presumably fetal age and heart rate. The first number read twelve. The second, zero. Hermione's heart sank.

"I'm sorry, Mister Snape, Missus Snape. There's nothing we can do," Severus hissed through his teeth and she saw his face drop into one hand out of the corner of her eye. "It'll pass on its own, there's no need for intervention. However, I would recommend a mild pain potion and a sedative. You have my condolences."

When they arrived home, Hermione went straight to the sofa. She hadn't cried, which concerned Severus more than if she'd sobbed the whole way home, but she hadn't shed a single tear. He wanted to cry. And once he had her covered with a blanket, and dosed up on the necessary potions, he disappeared into the bedroom they shared and did just that.

-v-

Severus woke up alone in bed. It took him a moment to remember what had happened, and that he had left Hermione sleeping on the sofa. He glanced at the clock, noting the time at 2:53 AM, and got up to bring Hermione to bed.

But she wasn't there.

The sofa was empty, the blanket still sprawled across it messily. He paused for a moment before checking the kitchen, and then the bathroom. She wasn't there. She wasn't in the house. He closed his eyes a moment and concentrated. He couldn't feel her magic. The residue was there from where she'd slept, but _she_ wasn't. Her wand still lay on the table by the sofa where she'd left it.

In an instant, Severus threw himself out of the house and apparated.

-v-

"Harry, did you hear that?" Ginny shook him awake, already sat up in bed. "Listen," They both sat perfectly still. After a moment, they heard footsteps, and then they both jumped out of the bed.

" _Potter!"_ Harry and Ginny flew down the stairs and came face to face with their seething former Potions Professor.

"What's happened?" Harry demanded. He was suddenly aware of the rest of the house, awake and standing behind him.

"Where is she?" Severus demanded.

"Where's who? Hermione? What's happened?"

"She's not here," Ron interjected. "She's not with you?"

"Obviously not," Severus ground out. He explained shortly what had happened, feeling the tension rise steadily in the room, and watching the panic increase on the faces in front of him. Potter and Ronald Weasley exchange glances, seeming to communicate mentally about the issue.

"Right," Ronald said matter of factly. "Where's Malfoy?"

"Malfoy?" Ginny asked. "We're looking for Hermione, Ron."

"Well, yeah, but he was the last one to threaten her outright, wasn't he?" Severus spun on his heel and was out the door in an instant. Potter and Weasley followed close behind.

"What are you doing?" Potter asked.

"Looking for my wife," Severus snapped. "Weasley's right. I need to speak with Lucius."

-v-

"Severus," The addressed man's fist came down and connected with Lucius' desk with such force, there was a sickening crunching noise. Lucius didn't react, instead he watched Severus evenly but with a slight air of concern.

"Where's my wife?" Severus demanded through gritted teeth. Lucius stood slowly, his expression one of deeper concern and wound his way around his desk.

"Granger is missing?"

"Yes, she's missing, you fuckwit!" Again, Lucius didn't react, seemingly used to his old friends stressed outbursts.

"Have a seat, Severus."

" _What?_ "

"Sit." With a firm shove to the chest, Lucius pushed Severus down into the chair across from his desk.

"I don't have her," Severus barked a laugh of disbelief. "Honestly, Severus, I don't have her. She's pregnant, isn't she?" Severus stiffened visibly. He pressed his lips together in a thin, white line.

"She was." Lucius fixed him with a stare filled with sympathy and understanding, and Severus wanted nothing more than to shoot across the room and strangle the man where he stood.

"You're welcome to search the house," Lucius offered, pacing the perimeters of his office. Severus didn't need to. He concentrated, his teeth grit together so tightly that his jaw began to ache.

There was nothing.

There was no trace of her magic, even residual.

She hadn't been in Malfoy Manor in years.

He shot up from the chair and began pacing himself.

He didn't have time for this. She'd been missing for hours. She could be anywhere. She could be in fucking China for all he knew.

But he didn't know.

"Think, Severus. Others offered for her."

"You think it was one of them?" Severus asked. But it made sense. It was the only thing in the world that made sense to him then. And then-

"Lance McAllaistar," Severus growled. The man's face manifested itself in his mind; the way he eyed Hermione, the way he stood too close to her, the threat he'd sent by Owl after their engagement.

" _I wanted her mine, Severus. Keep her close,_

 _or she will be when you're not paying attention."_

"The restaurant owner?" Lucius asked, skeptical. "The man can barely walk, Severus, how do you expect him to kidnap a grown woman?"

"He's not as frail as he seems."

Severus shoved Lucius' office door open with a BANG and the instant his toe was in the Apparition Foyer, he spun on the spot-

And landed in darkness.


End file.
